The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners on Sunday sealed the seat-sharing deal for the November Bihar Assembly elections with the BJP and Janata Dal United set to contest an equal number of seats for the first time since their alliance in the state in 2005.

As part of the arrangement formally shared by BJP’s Bihar election in-charge and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) and the BJP would contest 101 seats each in the 243-member state Assembly. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan emerged the top gainer in parleys, bagging 29 seats.

Smaller NDA parties — former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) — settled for six seats each.

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