BJP says seat-sharing talks between allies are ‘positive’; Chirag remains tight-lipped

At the end of hectic day-long parleys in Delhi, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) national president Chirag Paswan appeared with Minister of State for Home Affairs and BJP leader Nityanand Rai on Thursday (October 9, 2025) evening, with the latter claiming that the talks have been “positive” and the results of these talks will be revealed at the right hour.

According to sources, Mr. Paswan has climbed down from his earlier demand for 40 seats submitting a fresh list of 35. The BJP however is not willing to offer more than 25, which he would be amenable to if he gets the specific seats he wants. The deadlock however is on specific seats which include Govindganj, Matihani and Sikandara, currently held by the BJP, Janata Dal (United) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), respectively. Apart from these Mr. Paswan has been insisting on at least two seats each in the five Lok Sabha seats – Hajipur, Jamui, Vaishali, Khagaria and Samastipur — won by his party in 2024 general elections. To sweeten the deal, the BJP have offered Mr. Paswan a Rajya Sabha seat when a future vacancy arises.

In the morning, speaking to the reporters at his residence, Mr. Paswan delivered a subtle message to the BJP when he said that he has the responsibilities of the Ministry as long as he remains a Union Minister. “Discussions are going on. I have other responsibilities too. As long as I am a Minister, I have the responsibility of the Ministry too. I am going for that right now,” he said.

Later in the evening, Mr. Rai visited Mr. Paswan’s residence, ostensibly to meet the latter’s mother, Reena Paswan. Emerging out of the meeting to a clamour of reporters thrusting microphones at the two, Mr. Rai said, “The smiles on our faces reveal that the talks have been positive.” He said the result of this conversation will be revealed at the right hour. Mr. Paswan made a brief remark without revealing much. “He [Mr. Rai] has said everything is positive,” he said. He could meet Home Minister Amit Shah later in the day.

The deadline for filing nominations for the 121 Assembly constituencies in Bihar that go for poll in the first phase, ends on October 17.

Despite several rounds of meetings between Mr. Paswan and senior BJP functionaries, the seat division formula has not yet been formalised. Mr. Paswan and others in his party remain tight-lipped about the negotiations. As per senior party leadership, the negotiations are more about specific seats that the BJP is not willing to part with and less about the number. LJP (RV) is keen to maintain its 100% strike record from the Lok Sabha polls. Mr. Paswan is equally anxious to ensure a significant presence in the Bihar Assembly.

Meanwhile, MPs of his party, at a meeting in Patna on Thursday (October 9), authorised Mr. Paswan to take the final decision on seat-sharing in the Bihar Assembly elections. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Arun Bharti, the party’s Jamui MP and Bihar election in-charge, said, “Party officials have arrived at a consensus that whatever decision Chirag Paswan ji will take on all the 243 Assembly seats, that will be acceptable to us.”