On Sunday, after days of massive brainstorming, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) announced its list of 40 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Bihar. After RLSP quit the alliance, BJP has gone into a yielding mode and has given away a few key seats to its allies JD(U) and LJP. In December, the alliance partners had agreed on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal United (JDU) fighting on 17 seats each and 6 seats for Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

However, Miffed with the seat-sharing formula, another NDA ally, former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha snapped ties with BJP. His party, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) was not given any seats to contest. Kushwaha then went on to join the Congress-RJD mahagathbandhan. At a joint press conference held by the state presidents of all three parties, BJP's Nityanand Rai, JDU's Vashisht Narayan Singh and LJP's Pashupati Paras, announcement was made regarding sharing of seats, however, the three parties allocated the seats but refrained from announcing name of the 40 candidates.

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Here it is to be note that JDU state president Vashishtha Narayan Singh announced that his party would be contesting on Balmiki Nagar, Sitamarhi, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Madhepura, Gopalganj, Siwan, Bhagalpur, Banka, Munger, Nalanda, Karakat, Jehanabad and Gaya seats while BJP will be fielding candidates on East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, Madhubani, Araria, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj, Saran, Begusarai, Patna Saheb, Patliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram and Aurangabad.

However, LJP will be fielding candidates in Hajipur, Vaishali, Khagaria, Jamui, Samastipur and Nawada seat. The highlight of the seat sharing declaration was the Nawada Lok Sabha constituecny. Nawada is held by Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh, but the Bihar NDA has allocated this seat to LJP from where Veena Devi, who is an MP from Munger, will be fielded. BJP is likely to shift Giriraj Singh to Begusarai. JDU leader and Bihar Minister Lalan Singh is also likely to be the party's candidate from Munger.

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To be noted that controversy has also erupted over BJP yielding the Balmiki Nagar seats to JDU from where sitting MP Satish Dubey has been denied a ticket. Several district level BJP leaders from Balmiki Nagar have resigned in protest against BJP leaving the seat for JDU. Interestingly, Bhagalpur, which has been a stronghold of the BJP for several years, has also gone to JDU's kitty in this seat-sharing deal.