With only four days remaining for the nomination process of the first phase of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is grappling with a significant deadlock over seat-sharing. Despite several days of intense negotiations among the constituent parties, the final announcement of seat allocations remains pending, while sources indicate that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is reportedly dissatisfied with the proposed seat distribution, particularly during the final rounds of talks.
Four Seats at the Core of the Dispute
A major contention within the NDA revolves around four specific constituencies. Prominently among these is Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary's Tarapur seat. Also, three other seats—Sonbarsa, Rajgir, and Morwa—are also subjects of dispute, while reports suggest that Janata Dal (United) leader and CM Nitish Kumar isn't agreeable to the allocation of these seats, especially those purportedly assigned to Chirag Paswan's faction. Nitish is reportedly keen on reclaiming these three constituencies. Notably, Sonbarsa is currently represented by JDU minister Ratnesh Sada in Nitish Kumar's cabinet.
BJP's 'Plan B' for Samrat Chaudhary
Samrat Chaudhary, a prominent face of the BJP in Bihar, also faces uncertainty regarding his Tarapur assembly seat. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was preparing to field him from this constituency, but it's believed that Nitish Kumar has raised objections, while in light of Nitish's reservations, the BJP has devised an alternative 'Plan B' for Samrat Chaudhary. Under this contingency plan, he's being considered for either the Kumhrar or Patna Sahib seats in Patna.
Nomination Deadline Looms
The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in two phases, on November 6 and November 11. The nomination process for the first phase is underway, with October 17 being the final date for filing nominations. Time is running out, yet neither the NDA nor the Mahagathbandhan, the two major political alliances in Bihar, has officially announced their seat-sharing arrangements. However, speculations are rife that both alliances might finalize and declare their seat allocations by today or tomorrow. The Mahagathbandhan is also reportedly experiencing some internal friction between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, although leaders from both parties maintain that 'all is well'.
