Less than a month before Bihar election, Chirag Paswan remains firm on his demand for 35 seats

With less than a month for the high-stakes Bihar assembly elections, Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan is firm on his demand for 35 seats.

Hectic parleys and seat-sharing negotiations are underway among alliances, with political parties making every possible effort to secure a larger share of seats.

Discussions over the seat-sharing agreement continue within the NDA camp too. Paswan said that the talks are still at an early stage and refused to comment.

He said it would be premature to make any announcements before a final decision is reached. “Until things are completely finalised, there is no point in saying or announcing anything…Nothing can be said until a final decision is made. The talks are still at a very early stage, and everything will be shared at the right time,” he said, reported News18.

The NDA — comprising the BJP, JD(U), LJP (RV), and smaller allies like HAM(S) — is engaged in intense seat-sharing discussions. The first round of discussions was held on Sunday (October 5), while the second round is likely to take place midweek.

The voting for the 243-member Assembly will be held on November 6 and 11. The result will be announced on November 14.

In 2020, the JDU contested 115 seats and the BJP 110, while the VIP (then in NDA) fought 11 and HAM(S) seven. The LJP contested 135 seats alone, damaging JDU’s prospects in 27 constituencies, though it won just one. The BJP emerged stronger with 74 seats compared to JDU’s 43.

Buoyed by its 2024 Lok Sabha performance — winning all five seats it contested and securing over 6% vote share — the party is pushing for 35 Assembly seats.