CM Nitish Kumar and Amit Shah hold closed-door meet in Patna

Patna, Sep 18 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a closed-door meeting at Hotel Maurya in Patna, sparking intense political speculation ahead of the state Assembly elections.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, and Sanjay Jha were also present at the meeting.

Sources suggest that the discussions centred on seat-sharing arrangements and overall election strategy for the NDA in Bihar.

This was the first major formal meeting between Nitish Kumar and Amit Shah since the former’s return to the NDA fold in 2024.

Political observers believe its outcome could significantly shape Bihar’s pre-poll dynamics.

Reports of friction within the NDA alliance over seat distribution have been circulating for weeks. While both the BJP and JD(U) are keen to assert dominance, allies have also stepped up their demands.

LJP (Ram Vilas), led by Chirag Paswan, has sought “respectable” representation, with Jamui MP Arun Bharti hinting at a claim of anywhere between 43 and 137 seats.

Hindustani Awam Morcha, led by Jitan Ram Manjhi, has demanded 20 seats.

Amit Shah is on a two-day visit to Bihar, where he is scheduled to hold a series of high-level organisational meetings aimed at strengthening the BJP ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections.

On Thursday, Shah will reach Dehri in Rohtas district to meet grassroots party workers.

The region holds special significance for the BJP, as in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the party managed to win only two out of 20 seats in the Shahabad belt, which includes Rohtas, Kaimur, Bhojpur, and Buxar districts.

Following the Rohtas meeting, Shah will travel to Begusarai, where he is expected to chair another session with local MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and district presidents to chalk out the election roadmap and address organisational challenges.

Party insiders suggest that Shah’s visit is part of the BJP’s strategy to reinvigorate weak zones and mobilise the cadre base in regions where the party underperformed in 2020.

--IANS

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