India, Oct. 13 -- The subtext of the seat deal announced by the NDA for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls is that the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) is no longer in pole position. Since 2005, the JD(U) has made it a point to contest more seats than the BJP in all assembly polls, sending out the message that the former, which claims the inheritance of Mandal politics in the state, is the coalition leader. This time, the BJP and the JD(U) will contest the same number of seats - 101 each - suggesting an impending transition in Bihar politics. The shift in the balance of power within the NDA is also a reflection of a generational change at the top in the making - it has been looming since the sub-par showing of the JD(U) in the last assembly el...