By Admin 
After the nominations for the first and second phase of Bihar Assembly elections, it has now become clear that this time the mathematics of seat distribution in both the major alliances, NDA and Grand Alliance, has completely changed. Interestingly, the seats of all the constituent parties of NDA have decreased compared to the last election, while the Left parties and VIP party in the grand alliance have gained this time.
In the last assembly elections, NDA had given 115 seats to JDU and 110 seats to BJP, but this time both the major parties have to contest equally on 101-101 seats. That means JDU’s 14 seats and BJP’s 9 seats have decreased. To accommodate allies, BJP-JDU have left a total of 23 seats. The situation of other constituent parties of NDA is also not any better. Jitan Ram Manjhi’s party ‘Hum’ had got seven seats last time, which has reduced to six this time.
Who got how many seats and who will contest from where?
Whereas Upendra Kushwaha’s party ‘RLMO’ (formerly RLSP) has got six seats in NDA. Last time, he separated from both the NDA and the Grand Alliance and formed the Grand Democratic Secular Front, in which he got a chance to contest elections on 104 seats. This time Chirag Paswan’s party Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has also returned to NDA. Last time, after separating from NDA, LJP (RA) had fielded candidates on 134 seats, whereas now after joining the alliance, it has got 29 seats.
Congress sacrificed nine seats in the Grand Alliance
On the other hand, the period of fight for seats and compromise in the Grand Alliance also lasted for a long time. According to the final list, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has got 143 seats this time, which is only one less than last time. RJD has released the list of its candidates. This time Congress has been given 61 seats, whereas last time it had contested on 70 seats. That means Congress has sacrificed the maximum of nine seats in the Grand Alliance.
The position of left parties in the elections is better than before.
The situation of the left parties has become better this time than before. In 2020, a total of 29 seats were given to the Left parties (CPI-ML, CPI and CPM) by the Grand Alliance. But this time this number has increased to 35. CPI-ML is contesting on 20 seats instead of 19, CPI on nine seats instead of six and CPM on six seats instead of four.
Inflow of new parties in both the alliances
This time, ‘Vikassheel Insaan Party’ (VIP) has also joined the Grand Alliance, which earlier had got 11 seats from the NDA, whereas now in the Grand Alliance it has got the opportunity to contest elections on 15 seats.
The interesting thing is that this time there has been an influx of new parties in both the alliances. While NDA has made space for LJP (RA), the Grand Alliance has taken VIPs along. However, dissatisfaction and mutual conflict over seat distribution is being seen in both the alliances. Overall, in this election season of Bihar, while the Left parties and VIPs have gained in share, the NDA has suffered losses in the equation of seats. Now it will be interesting to see in whose favor this mathematics works in the election results – ‘Grand Alliance or NDA’.