'All Not Well Within NDA': Lobbying For Mahua Seat, Sulking Kushwaha Likely To Meet Amit Shah

Last Updated:October 15, 2025, 11:28 IST

Bihar Elections 2025: Sources indicate Upendra Kushwaha is unhappy as the Mahua seat was given to LJP, while he wants his son to contest from the constituency

Sources say Nityanand Rai will personally escort Upendra Kushwaha to Delhi for a meeting with Amit Shah. (News18 Hindi/File)

Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha has sparked fresh turmoil within the NDA ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, following the recently announced seat-sharing arrangement that has reportedly left him dissatisfied.

Expressing discontent with the alliance’s current state, Kushwaha has stalled his candidate’s nomination process, declaring that he will move forward only after holding talks with senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

On Tuesday, Kushwaha stopped his candidate from filing nominations, prompting senior BJP leaders to rush to his residence in a bid to placate him.

Why BJP Leaders Rushed To Kushwaha’s Residence

Union Minister Nityanand Rai, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, BJP leader Nitin Nabin, and BJP General Secretary Rituraj Sinha arrived at Kushwaha’s residence at Tuesday midnight. They held a closed-door meeting with him until 5am, but no resolution was reached.

News18 Hindi cited sources as suggesting that Kushwaha is unhappy over his quota seat being allotted to another faction within the NDA, while the Mahua seat has been handed to the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP). He reportedly wants his son to contest from that constituency.

What Happened At Midnight?

Efforts to convince Upendra Kushwaha continued throughout the night but were unsuccessful. Kushwaha is said to have rejected suggestions from Samrat Choudhary and Nityanand Rai. Despite being persuaded until 5am, no progress was made.

As per News18 Hindi, Kushwaha is likely to leave for Delhi, maintaining that only a meeting with Amit Shah can resolve his concerns. Speaking to reporters, he reiterated that the NDA is “not in good shape" this time.

Kushwaha To Head To Delhi

Reports say Nityanand Rai will personally escort Kushwaha to Delhi for a meeting with Amit Shah, reportedly at the latter’s invitation. According to sources, while Kushwaha remains firm on his claim to the Mahua seat, LJP president Chirag Paswan is equally determined to retain it, prompting the BJP to step in and mediate.

Fresh Instructions To Chirag Paswan

Sources indicate that Amit Shah has directed Chirag Paswan to hold off on finalising the Mahua seat for now. Late on Tuesday night, Paswan announced four party symbols but withheld one for Sanjay Singh, the likely candidate from Mahua. Currently in Delhi, Paswan is yet to make a final decision on the pending symbol.

On Tuesday, the BJP released its initial list of 71 candidates for the Bihar assembly elections, with 30 seats still pending announcement.

Earlier, on Sunday, the NDA unveiled its official seat-sharing arrangement for the polls. According to the formula, both the BJP and JD(U) are set to contest 101 seats each, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will field candidates in 29 constituencies, while the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) are allocated six seats each.

The 243 Assembly constituencies will go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 14.

News elections 'All Not Well Within NDA': Lobbying For Mahua Seat, Sulking Kushwaha Likely To Meet Amit Shah

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