Updated: October 6, 2020 8:16:48 pm
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with BJP Senior Leader and Dy CM Sushil Kumar Modi during a press conference ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections in Patna on Tuesday (PTI)
Following agitated parliaments within the NDA on the seat sharing formula For Bihar’s upcoming elections, Prime Minister Nitish Kumar said on Tuesday that the JD (U) would compete in 122 seats and the BJP in 121 in the 243-member assembly. In the 2010 Assembly elections, the JD (U) and the BJP had contested 141 and 102 seats, respectively.
“JD (U) has been assigned 122 seats. Under that quota, we give HAM 7 seats. BJP has 121 seats and will accommodate Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), the newest entrant to the NDA, ”Kumar said at a press conference.
However, the press conference unfolded amid much drama. Nitish Kumar reportedly reached the press after BJP first issued a statement saying that its alliance with JD (U) of Nitish Kumar in Bihar was “unshakable”.
This comes a day after LJP, which announced its departure from the alliance at the state polls, claimed that the next government of Bihar it would be a “BJP-LJP government”. “There is no doubt that Nitish Kumar is our leader in Bihar. LJP is our ally in the Center, ”BJP head of state Sanjay Jaiswal told a media center set up by the party in a city hotel before the press conference.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with BJP Senior Leader and Dy CM Sushil Kumar Modi (PTI)
Nitish Kumar also insisted on the fact that Ram Vilas Paswan became a deputy for Rajya Sabha thanks to the help of JD (U). “Ram Vilas Paswan is not feeling well. We want him to recover. Did you get to Rajya Sabha without the help of JDU? How many seats do they have in Bihar Vidhan Sabha? Two. So BJP-JD (U) gave him a ticket to RS, ”said Bihar CM.
Without naming Chirag Paswan, Nitish criticized the LJP chief, saying: “I believe in doing my job. If some people take pleasure in saying something inconsequential, they are welcome to do so. It doesn’t bother me. “
Responding to a post-poll scenario inquiry, Senior Deputy Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said: “We have unequivocally said that Nitish Kumar will be our Senior Minister. It doesn’t matter which party gets how many seats in the elections ”.
On Sunday, LJP chief Chirag Paswan cited “ideological differences with JD (U)” to announce his departure from the alliance for the state polls while reiterating that he would continue with the NDA in the Center. The party said it would run candidates against the JD (U) but not the BJP for state elections.
The move came after its relationship with JD (U) took a nosedive in recent months, with the party taking shots at the Bihar government for its handling of Covid and the immigration crisis that followed the shutdown.
the Grand Alliance had already announced its formula to share seats last week, with the RJD competing in 144 seats and the Congress in 70. The three left parties will fight from 29 electoral districts: the CPI (ML) with 19 seats, and the CPI and CPI (M) six and four seats , respectively.
Bihar will go to the polls in three phases: October 28, November 3 and November 7. Results will be declared on November 10.
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