NEW DELHI, March 18 -- The NDA on Monday finalised its seat-sharing formula in Bihar for Lok Sabha elections, announcing the BJP will contest 17 constituencies, the JD(U) 16 and Chirag Paswan's LJP (Ram Vilas) five, while rebuffing the claims of the LJP faction led by Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras.

Two other NDA allies - Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Morcha - will contest one seat each, Vinod Tawde, the BJP's in-charge for elections in Bihar, told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.

This will be the first time the BJP has got more seats than Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) in Bihar, underscoring the change in their equations after they joined hands a few months back.

Tawde...