Ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents have started flexing muscles to get a major share in the final seat-sharing arrangement.

With the maximum number of MLAs in the current assembly, the BJP eyes the largest share of the pie. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU), despite being the third largest party in the assembly,
also wants to get an equal number of seats.

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The tussle between the two major parties has put smaller constituents of the NDA in a quandary. Realising this, the smaller parties have started throwing tantrums to make their worth known to the alliance partners.

The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has started mounting attacks on Nitish Kumar. Only a few days ago, he demanded BPSC re-examination. He said if he were in the Opposition, he would
have staged a sit-in protest. But since he is in the government, he cannot do so.

His uncle and head of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party Pashupati Kumar Paras, who is still part of the NDA despite being sidelined, minces no words to indicate his differences with the ruling alliance.

Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular)’s Jitan Ram Manjhi is at the forefront. Upset by the BJP’s decision not to share any seat with his party in Delhi assembly elections, he staked his claim to 40 seats in Bihar.

Navendu, a political observer, believes Nitish Kumar will make all efforts to retain the seat sharing arrangement of the 2020 assembly elections. In 2020, the JDU had 122 seats while the remaining 121 had
gone to the BJP. The JDU had given seven seats from its quota to Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) while the BJP had given nine of its seats to Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP). Chirag Paswan’s LJP (R) had contested independently.

“Now, the scenario has changed. The VIP has left the NDA while the LJP(R) joined the alliance. Nitish will make all efforts to get those 122 seats again, but he will not leave any seat for Chirag’s LJP (R). Manjhi is also not so close to Nitish. It has complicated the situation. Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s recent outburst was to strengthen their position in the alliance,” he said.