The saffron party’s relations have become strained with its coalition members regarding the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. The Narendra Modi team is of the opinion that the BJP should have 160-170 seats for its own party members, and the remaining 70-80 seats be distributed between its coalition members. If this formula is implemented, Ram Vilas Paswan will have to content himself with 25-30 seats, and Kushwaha, with merely 12-15. The seats that may fall in Manjhi’s lap might see BJP members contesting the elections in disguise; at least that is what the unsaid deal between Manjhi and BJP seems to be about. That is because Manjhi does not have as many contestants of his own for the elections. Team Modi has told its coalition members that the 2014 election results can’t be the benchmark for these parties’ performances. They have been indirectly told that if they want to look at other options, they can go their separate way, starting now.