Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh): With months to go for the Bihar assembly polls, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha has said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is the people's wish and a symbol of the state's development. He said that the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar were an opportunity to remove those who "ruined" the state. "Our leadership and alliance are strong, and there is no confusion anywhere. NDA is the wish of the people of Bihar, and it is a symbol of development. This is an opportunity to get rid of those people who ruined Bihar," Sinha told ANI. His remarks came after Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan on Sunday announced that he would contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls. Speaking at a public gathering in Arrah, Paswan declared that his party would support the NDA in all 243 assembly seats to ensure its victory. "For those who ask from where I will contest, I want to tell you that my party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and I will contest on 243 seats to make NDA candidates win and strengthen the NDA alliance. My goal is that the NDA moves towards victory," Chirag said. Making the announcement in Arrah, a traditionally weak region for JD(U), Paswan said he would not contest the election "from Bihar but for Bihar." He added that he would leave the decision of his candidacy and constituency to the people. "I leave this decision to you (people). You decide whether I should contest the Bihar assembly elections, and from which seat. I will follow your decision," he added. Paswan's recent announcement has ignited a debate about seat-sharing within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar. Paswan's demand for 40 seats, citing his party's 100 per cent strike rate in the last Lok Sabha polls, has raised eyebrows among NDA allies. The LJP is demanding 40 seats, while other allies like Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) are also seeking a handful of seats, while the BJP and JD (U) are reportedly eyeing 100 seats each. Paswan's aggressive posturing comes against the backdrop of the 2020 polls, where his party secured an almost 5.66 per cent vote share. This brought down the JD(U)'s tally from 71 in 2015 to 43, relegating it to third place behind the RJD and BJP. Bihar is expected to have its assembly elections later this year. However, the Election Commission has not announced the dates.
