Chirag Eyes BJP Turf, JDU Minister Loses Seat: Why NDA’s Bihar Candidate List Is Stuck | Exclusive

Last Updated:October 14, 2025, 12:13 IST

The allies are caught in a fix over seats like Govindganj, Sonbarsha and Chainpur, and hectic parleys are on to break the stalemate

NDA constituent parties meet to discuss the Bihar elections, (PTI)

The much-anticipated NDA press conference in Patna on Monday was quietly shelved after back-to-back parleys among alliance partners failed to resolve pending seat-sharing disputes. While HAM and RLSP continue to remain upset about the six seats each given to them, Monday night’s hectic negotiations were to allay concerns of three major players—BJP, JDU and LJP (RV)—who have complaints about not the number of seats allotted to them but the specific seats themselves.

Sources told News18 that the first round of discussions took place at BJP leader Sanjay Jha’s residence, followed by a late-night huddle at deputy CM Samrat Choudhary’s bungalow, where frantic efforts were made to rejig a few contentious seats.

Sources privy to the discussion told News18 how disputes over seats have entangled the BJP, which was about to announce its candidate list on Monday but had to delay the plan.

1. Govindganj: Currently held by the BJP, the seat has become a flashpoint, with Chirag Paswan insisting it be allotted to his party, the LJP (Ram Vilas). Paswan, the source insists, wants the seat for his Bihar state president Raju Tiwari. Though LJP (RV) has already been given Govindpur, Paswan is adamant on swapping it for Govindganj.

2. Sonbarsha: The constituency, represented by JDU minister Ratnesh Sada, has been allotted to Paswan’s LJP (RV) in the new formula, leaving Sada fuming and the JD(U) leadership scrambling to placate him.

3. Chainpur: Another point of friction is Chainpur, which was earlier represented by minority affairs minister Jama Khan, who had joined JD(U) after contesting from BSP. The seat now falls in BJP’s quota, which has sparked fresh unease within the ruling camp.

These are some of the many unresolved differences that have cast a shadow over the NDA’s Bihar seat-sharing announcement, with alliance managers working overtime to keep the coalition intact and prevent local-level dissent from spilling out publicly.

But you ask Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal and he will tell you: “All is well". “Disagreement over seat-sharing was just an old story," he added, claiming the entire bloc is together like a “rock". Interestingly, the late-night huddle at Samrat Chowdhury’s residence was called after Jaiswal’s confident statement.

Anindya Banerjee

Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in ...Read More

Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in ...

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News elections Chirag Eyes BJP Turf, JDU Minister Loses Seat: Why NDA’s Bihar Candidate List Is Stuck | Exclusive

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