With the upcoming Bihar elections drawing near, the BJP is holding intensive discussions to formulate strategies. The party’s election committee convened for two days in Patna, the state capital, to prepare for the elections. The meeting was chaired by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister and the party’s in-charge for the Bihar elections. CR Patil, a fellow cabinet member and election co-in-charge, along with Vinod Tawde, BJP’s National General Secretary, also participated.
Dilip Jaiswal, President of the BJP’s state unit, provided insights into the meeting, stating that the state election committee discussed their standing in the 243-member assembly, particularly focusing on their current 60 seats. In the 2020 elections, the party contested 110 seats and won 75. He mentioned that candidates with strong performance records and no significant opposition could be reconsidered, while others might be replaced. Prioritization of women and youth was also a key discussion point.
Vinod Tawde, who attended the meeting, expressed his belief that Bihar is ready to re-elect the NDA government. The Bihar election committee meeting also involved deliberations on prospective candidates for the forthcoming elections.
Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, Vijay Kumar Sinha, noted that the meeting featured extensive discussions on the assembly elections. He emphasized that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Bihar has established new benchmarks in development, governance, and public welfare.
Efforts were also focused on resolving discord within the five-party alliance. Dharmendra Pradhan and Vinod Tawde visited Jitan Ram Manjhi, who is seeking 15-20 seats for his party, the Hindustani Awam Morcha, despite only having four MLAs. Manjhi stated, “I cannot disclose details about the discussions, but everything is fine.” Manjhi is the sole MP from his party, and his son, a member of the Legislative Council, is a state minister.
The NDA in Bihar is contesting under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, comprising BJP-JDU, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan, and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, led by Rajya Sabha member Upendra Kushwaha. Following their visit to Manjhi’s residence, Pradhan and Tawde subsequently visited Kushwaha. Kushwaha, typically outspoken, did not comment after the meeting.
A meeting of the Bihar BJP core group will follow this series of discussions in Delhi. Subsequently, the Central Election Committee, attended by PM Modi, Amit Shah, JP Nadda, and other members, will finalize the candidate nominations.
