BJP core group to meet at JP Nadda’s residence today to finalise candidates for Bihar polls

A crucial meeting of the BJP core group will be held on Saturday at the residence of BJP National President J.P. Nadda, as the party moves into the final phase of its preparations for the Bihar Assembly elections.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and will be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, senior Bihar BJP leaders, and key members of the party’s core group.

This high-level discussion comes in the immediate aftermath of the formal seat-sharing announcement by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is expected to be made public in Patna on Saturday.

According to sources, the primary agenda of today’s meeting is to finalise the BJP’s list of candidates for the seats allocated to it under the NDA arrangement.

The BJP’s Bihar election committee has already submitted panels of potential candidates to the central leadership. Party insiders indicate that the first list of candidates could be released by October 13. Notably, the list may reflect a coordinated NDA slate, rather than a BJP-exclusive one.

Ahead of the announcement, NDA allies have been striking a conciliatory tone. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union Minister Chirag Paswan, who had earlier demanded 40 seats, hinted that an agreement was near. “I have nothing to worry about when my Prime Minister is there,” he remarked, signalling his trust in the BJP’s leadership. The LJP(RV), which did not contest as part of the NDA in 2020, is now being re-accommodated in the alliance.

Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) President and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, whose party won four out of seven seats it contested in 2020, is reportedly seeking 15 seats this time. While that demand may not be fully met, sources suggest that both Paswan and Manjhi are likely to accept the final formula after interventions from top BJP leaders.

The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results declared on November 14, 2025.