Bihar NDA Seat-Sharing Tensions Escalate as RLM Chief Upendra Kushwaha Heads to Delhi

Seat Dispute: Mahua Sparks Controversy

Sources indicate that the immediate trigger for Kushwaha’s trip is a rumour that the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) [LJP (RV)] is demanding the Mahua seat in Vaishali district, which had reportedly been allocated to the RLM as part of NDA’s seat-sharing arrangement.

RLM was also promised Sasaram, Ujiarpur, Bajpatti, Madhubani, and Dinara, all constituencies won by RJD in 2020, making them challenging battlegrounds for the smaller party.

“The RLM has finalised its candidates and nominations are scheduled for Thursday. Now with the LJP (RV) claiming Mahua, the party chief has gone to meet BJP leadership in Delhi,” an RLM insider said.

The Mahua seat carries historical significance. In 2020, RJD’s candidate defeated the JD(U) by 13,770 votes, while the LJP’s independent run reportedly split the NDA vote, securing 25,198 votes and relegating Kushwaha’s then-party, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), to just 6,341 votes.

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Broader Alliance Unease

The seat-sharing arrangement has generated wider discontent within the NDA. While BJP is contesting 101 seats, JD(U) is matched at 101, contrary to Nitish Kumar’s earlier demand for one more seat than the BJP. Both RLM and Hindustan Awami Morcha (Secular) [HAM(S)] have been allocated six seats each, a distribution some allies perceive as disproportionate given the LJP (RV)’s 29-seat quota.

“This time, nothing is well in the NDA,” Kushwaha remarked to the media after a recent meeting with BJP and JD(U) leaders, hinting at growing rifts.

Apart from Mahua, Kushwaha is reportedly aggrieved over being denied Obra and Kurtha, constituencies he considered winnable due to favourable social equations.

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Political Context and Implications

The LJP (RV)’s rising seat demand is straining the NDA, especially with smaller allies like RLM and HAM(S) feeling marginalised. In 2020, the NDA comprised BJP, JD(U), HAM(S), and VIP, with the latter now joining the Mahagathbandhan, further altering Bihar’s political arithmetic.

The Mahua seat, along with other RLM-claimed constituencies, will be closely contested, reflecting both caste dynamics and alliance loyalties, and could play a decisive role in the assembly outcome.

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Election Calendar Pressure

With nomination filings scheduled for Thursday, the RLM leadership is under pressure to resolve disputes swiftly. Kushwaha’s Delhi meeting with Amit Shah and BJP ministers, including Union Minister Nityanand Rai, is expected to finalise allocations and avoid public fallout before the election machinery kicks into full gear.

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Takeaway

The unfolding RLM-LJP (RV) tussle highlights the delicate balancing act in multi-party alliances. While the NDA remains a dominant force, unresolved seat-sharing disputes could undermine cohesion, potentially benefiting opposition formations in key constituencies.