Lok Sabha polls 2019: How Bihar has voted in the general elections since 2004

This year, the BJP and the JD(U) have agreed to contest 17 seats each, with the other six going to the third partner in the alliance, the Lok Janshakti Party.

Bihar: With only weeks left for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the political fervor has escalated in the country. Parties have already started releasing the lists of their candidates who would contest polls on their behalf and the seat sharing formula has also been penned down between allies. Bihar, which has 40 Lok Sabha seats, is expected to see an interesting battle between NDA, which comprises of Bharatiya Janta Party and its allies Nitish Kumar-led JDU (Janta Dal United) and Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP (Lok Janshakti Party). This year, the BJP and the JD(U) have agreed to contest 17 seats each, with the other six going to the third partner in the alliance, the Lok Janshakti Party. Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal(United) has said its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is restricted to Bihar and that it would contest in other states separately. Important contestants of Bihar: Nitish Kumar (JD-U), Sushil Kumar Modi (BJP), Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Ram Vilas Paswan (LJP), Madan Mohan Jha (Congress), Upendra Kushwaha (RLSP), Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM-S). Bihar in 2014 General elections: The previous general elections in the state were swept clean by Bharatiya Janta Party, who won 22 seats and its then allies LJP and RLSP; who won 6 and 3 seats respectively. Whereas, RJD bagged 4 seats, NCP got 1 seat and Congress won only 2 seats. Kushwaha led RLSP has separated from NDA after Nitish shook hands with BJP. 2009 General elections: These elections were a contest between NDA, which then comprised of (Bharatiya Janyta Party, Janta Dal United), Congress and the fourth front ( Rashtriya Janata Dal, Lok Janshakti Party and the Samajwadi Party) The polls were swept by NDA, which bagged 32 of the 40 seats; whereas Lalu Yadav led RJD won only 4 seats. 2004 General elections: The election was fought by a broad coalition comprising of  RJD, Congress, Lok Janshakti, NCP and CPI(M). Lalu Yadav led RJD emerged as a party bagging maximum number of seats with 22 seats and 30.16% vote share. The National Democratic alliance comprising of BJP and JDU could bag only (5+6=11 seats).