The BJP is holding extensive discussions in Bihar as the state prepares for elections. A two-day meeting of the party’s election committee took place in Patna. The primary aim of this meeting was to finalize the preparations for the upcoming elections. The meeting was led by Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Minister and the party’s in-charge for Bihar elections. CR Patil, a fellow cabinet member and the co-in-charge of the elections, along with Vinod Tawde, the National General Secretary of the BJP, were also present at the meeting.
Dilip Jaiswal, the President of the BJP’s state unit, shared insights on the meeting, mentioning that the state election committee assessed their current standing in the 243-member assembly, focusing on their 60 seats. In the 2020 elections, the party contested 110 seats and secured victory in 75. He also mentioned that those candidates who performed well and did not have significant opposition could be considered again, whereas others might see new faces. Discussions were also held to prioritize women and youth.
Vinod Tawde, present at the meeting, voiced his confidence that Bihar is ready to vote for an NDA government. The Bihar election committee meeting also involved discussions on the selection of potential candidates for the upcoming elections.
Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Vijay Kumar Sinha, said that the meeting included in-depth discussions on the assembly elections. He added that Bihar has achieved new milestones in development, good governance, and public welfare under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Dharmendra Pradhan and Vinod Tawde also focused on resolving internal differences within the five-party alliance. They visited Jitan Ram Manjhi’s residence, who is seeking 15-20 seats for his party, the Hindustani Awam Morcha, despite having only four MLAs. Manjhi responded, “I cannot disclose much about the discussions; however, I can assure you that everything is in order.” It is worth noting that Manjhi is the sole MP representing his party and his son, a member of the Legislative Council, holds the position of a state minister.
The NDA in Bihar is campaigning under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The alliance comprises 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 the visit to Manjhi’s residence, Pradhan and Tawde subsequently visited Kushwaha. Kushwaha, known for his candidness, maintained silence after the meeting.
Following this series of meetings, a meeting of the Bihar BJP core group will be held in Delhi. Subsequently, the Central Election Committee, attended by PM Modi, Amit Shah, JP Nadda, and other prominent members, will finalize the candidate nominations.