Seat-Sharing Talks For Bihar Lok Sabha Elections: Nitish Kumar's Delhi Visit

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is scheduled to begin a four-day visit to Delhi today. During his visit, he plans to engage in discussions with the top BJP leadership to finalize the seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state.

According to the Election Commission of India's schedule for the national polls, the elections to the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar will be conducted in seven phases on April 19, 26, May 7, 13, 20, 25, and June 1.

The six seats of Arrah, Begusarai, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Kishanganj, and Hajipur, where the BJP-led NDA had secured a clean sweep five years ago, are particularly significant.

The Chief Minister is expected to arrive in the national capital around 8.15 pm tonight and is scheduled to return to Patna on Thursday.

The seat-sharing announcement is anticipated while Nitish Kumar, who rejoined the BJP fold in January, is still in Delhi. This visit occurs amid recent meetings in Delhi and Patna aimed at deciding on the distribution of seats.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav will also be in Delhi today to participate in the final seat-sharing talks with the Congress and Left parties. It is expected that a deal will be reached in the coming days.

During the concluding program of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Mumbai on Sunday night, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav addressed the audience and emphasized the significance of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's message in saving India's Constitution, promoting brotherhood, and defeating hatred.

In a statement to the ANI news agency on Sunday, Tejashwi Yadav expressed confidence in the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, stating that the election outcome in Bihar would surprise everyone.

He also criticized the Central government's actions over the past decade, questioning their contributions to Bihar's development. He highlighted the lack of a special package for Bihar and criticized the work done by the BJP-led NDA, including the Chief Minister's criticisms of their efforts.