NDA shares Bihar seat allocation for Lok Sabha polls
What's the story
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Monday announced the distribution of seats among its coalition members in Bihar.
According to reports, out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest 17 seats.
The Janata Dal (United), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will contest 16 seats and Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party will compete for five seats.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar will cast their votes in seven phases spreading over 43 days.
In the last general election, the BJP won 22 seats, while the JD(U) secured 16.
Bihar is poised for an intense electoral battle as the JD(U) once again aligned with the BJP, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest against the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Mahagathbandhan.
2024 polls
HAM, RLM to get one seat each
According to the NDA's allocation, Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha will get one seat each.
This development comes amid reports that the opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance is struggling with seat-sharing negotiations in the state.
RJD leader and former Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav is expected to attend a meeting in Delhi to iron out the details.
Nitish's exit from INDIA
Nitish Kumar left the INDIA bloc in January
In January, Kumar resigned as Bihar CM, ending his 18-month alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD and the Congress.
After exiting the Mahagathbandhan bloc, he staked a claim to form a new government with the BJP's backing and was sworn in as the Bihar CM for the ninth time.
Kumar's entry into the NDA fold has given a major boost to the ruling alliance.
2024 polls
EC releases election timetable
On Saturday, the ECI announced the dates for the 2024 elections.
The polls will be held in seven phases, beginning on April 19.
The results for all elections, including by-elections, assembly elections, and general elections will be announced on June 4.
With this announcement, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is now in effect.