Infighting in JD(U): Why is Nitish Kumar angry with the BJP over seat sharing formula in Bihar

Ever since the NDA announced its seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, politics in one of India’s most crucial states has been on fire.

Under the deal, both the BJP and the JD(U) will contest 101 seats each. Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) has been allotted 29 seats, while Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM(S) and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha will fight on six seats each.

Although Manjhi and Kushwaha have expressed discontent, warning that the arrangement could hurt the NDA’s prospects, the JD(U) has remained silent.

Several NDA leaders posted identical messages on X, insisting that the talks had been held in a “cordial atmosphere.” But insiders say there was much more than met the eyes.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, sources say, is deeply unhappy with the seat distribution. So much so that he snubbed the national working president Sanjay Jha in public during the core group meeting on the night of 13 October. The meeting was held at his official residence in Patna.

A press conference of the NDA partners, earlier in the evening was cancelled at the eleventh hour due to the same reasons. Some claimed that Kumar even toyed with the idea of switching sides again. The speculation gained traction after RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari cryptically remarked that “Tejashwi’s googly has unsettled the NDA’s balance.”

While nothing is impossible in politics especially when it involves Nitish Kumar, known for his serial U-turns, political watchers believe a defection is unlikely this time.

Why? The JD(U), which has ruled Bihar for nearly two decades (barring the brief 17-month alliance with the RJD), appears deeply divided over the seat-sharing formula.

Discontented Nitish loyalists such as MLC Neeraj Kumar have launched sharp attacks on BJP, and even demanded a apology from the BJP [and from those helping BJP]. Insiders say Neeraj spoke with Nitish’s tacit approval.

Manish Verma—former IAS officer and now the party’s national general secretary is also said to be backing Neeraj. A close confidant of Nitish, Verma wields influence comparable to that of V.K. Pandian over Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Verma is believed to have briefed Nitish on how the deal could weaken the JD(U) in the post-poll scenario. He has also been quietly advocating for the induction of Nitish Kumar’s son into active politics.

Party sources say the resentment against Jha and Singh runs so deep that both could face disciplinary action after the elections. When asked why Nitish Kumar and why his loyalists believe the BJP has undermined him, a senior JD(U) leader told NH on condition of anonymity:

1. Nearly half of the seats allotted to the JD(U) are in constituencies where the party is weak and likely to lose, which could slash its final tally.

2. Around 10 seats in the JD(U)’s strongholds have been handed to Chirag whose rebellion in 2020 crippled the party, reducing its wins to 44 out of the contested 115 seats.

3. Nitish and his aides believe the BJP has deliberately undermined him and that both Sanjay Jha and Lalan Singh have acted more in the BJP’s interest than their own party’s.

Asked why Lalan Singh—once among Nitish’s most trusted lieutenants—would turn against him, JD(U) sources hinted he was being “coerced” by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

In 2023, the Enforcement Directorate filed a ₹100-crore tax evasion case against builder Gabbu Singh, considered close to Lalan. JD(U) insiders claimed the case was allegedly used to pressure him into compliance.

Similarly, Sanjeev Hans once linked to JD(U) top brass and reportedly close to Jha was arrested by the ED, which later attached properties worth ₹23.72 crore allegedly belonging to his ‘associates’.

While such claims can be scrapped as election-time gossip, given the BJP’s well-known pressure tactics, the coercion theory cannot be ruled out entirely.

Interestingly, both camps within the JD(U)—those loyal to Nitish and those aligned with Jha and Singh—believe Nitish Kumar will not switch sides this time. “That time has passed. There’s no going back now,” said one JD(U) leader.

RJD sources also downplayed it as 'rumours'. A top RJD source termed the possibility of Kumar joining INDIA bloc as 'bakwas'.

It is worth noting here that last time Nitish switched sides, it was Lalan Singh who led backchannel talks with RJD strategist Sanjay Yadav. This time, there is no go-between.

Another JD(U) insider said Nitish is unlikely to join an alliance that has promised 'too much'—one government job per household. JDU believes Tejashwi Yadav’s promise of one government job to every family is fiscally impossible and politically risky.

So will Nitish get a better deal? JD(U) sources believes 'yes'. “Amit Shah has reached Patna and will fix the issues concerning the JD(U). Most likely, Chirag will be cut to size, and JD(U) will be given more seats,” the source said.

Not only has the JD(U) been caught in infighting over seat-sharing with the BJP, but the party is also facing internal rebellion over ticket distribution. Former MLA Gopal Mandal has staged a dharna in front of his residence.

In Aurangabad district, protests erupted over the JDU’s decision to field Chetan Anand as its candidate. Party workers took to the streets, raising slogans of “Anand Mohan, go back,” and demanding that the ticket be allotted instead to former MP Virendra Kumar Singh.

Bihar watchers say Nitish Kumar, once seen as big brother in the NDA, appears increasingly undermined within the alliance — a development that has not only dented his authority but also deepened uncertainty within the JDU ranks ahead of the polls.