NEW DELHI/PATNA, Sept. 30 -- The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is on the verge of finalising its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, with two formulas having been worked out and either of them expected to get the alliance's stamp. According to one, Janata Dal (United) is set to contest one seat more than the Bharatiya Janata Party -- former to get 102 seats and the latter to contest 101 seats. The other formula stipulates that the BJP gets 120 seats and gives 20 seats from its quota to the LJP (RV) leaving it with 100 seats and JD(U) gets 123 seats from which it would give 12 seats between Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM-S. This will leave JD(U) with 111 seats. The arrangements, according to people privy to developments in the NDA, were worked upon when the Union education minister and BJP's state election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan met chief minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar in Patna on Sunday. BJP leaders described it as a "courtesy meeting", but people familiar with the matter confirmed that the numbers are close to being finalised. The final seat-sharing formula, according to a senior NDA leader who is part of the seat negotiations, is likely to be turned into a deal on October 5 or a day later when the alliance will have a meeting in New Delhi. It is also likely, as people aware of the developements suggest, that the NDA's much-awaited seats allocation will be made public once the Election Commission declares polling dates after the Election Commission officials' visit to state on October 4-5. The Bihar elections are expected to be announced later this week or next week (after October 6) and is set to happen in phases in the first and second weeks of November. According to JD(U) leaders familiar with the matter, their party will contest 102 seats to the BJP's 101, honouring Kumar's insistence on "at least one more seat than BJP", while Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest 22, Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), or HAM-S, eight, and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha, four. The remaining six seats in the 243-member assembly have been "kept on reserve", the JD(U) leaders added, pointing to smaller allies in the NDA that may need to be accommodated. One of the JD(U) leaders cited above said that the 102:101 formula signals the BJP's intent to keep Kumar happy to avoid any political churn. His reference is to the Bihar chief minister's previous exits from the NDA (in 2013 and 2022), although he rejoined it in 2017 and 2024. The JD(U)'s chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar confirmed that the formula is directionally accurate, adding that "it is on expected lines as the NDA is firm about winning the coming assembly elections under the leadership of Nitishji. Every ally will get the seats as per their support base and winnability and we'll repeat our success again." Analysts point out that the formula is disproportionate to the JD(U)'s performance. "The BJP outperformed JD(U) in the 2020 assembly polls, winning 74 of the 110 seats it contested, compared to JD(U)'s 43 of 115," said political analyst Dhirendra Kumar. But, the formula "underscores Nitish Kumar's continued clout in state politics despite the BJP's superior strike rate in 2020," he added. This arrangement will help the NDA tap Kumar's credibility among women and EBC (extremely backward class) voters, he said. According to senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, the NDA leadership will take a final call on the seat-sharing arrangement between allies after the Election Commission announces the dates for the Bihar election adding that the strategy aims to stop ticket aspirants from switching parties if they do not get a poll pass. HAM-S, an alliance partner of the NDA, said that seat sharing would be done within 10 days: "The NDA will soon hold a meeting to discuss seat-sharing. All parties will present their claims. After that, everyone's share will be decided accordingly," said HAM-S's national president Santosh Suman while talking to HT....