PM Narendra Modi with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.
Chirag Paswan, who has been challenging Nitish Kumar’s performance in both law and order and development, had also indicated that his party was willing to compete for 143 seats if its demands were not met.
- News18.com
- Last update: October 4, 2020 9:18 AM IST
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After many delays, the NDA has finalized its seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Bihar state assembly elections. Sources have told News18 that Janata Dal (United) is expected to compete for 124 seats in the House of 243. BJP will get 119, while Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha may receive the remaining seats.
The JD (U) appears to have told the BJP to take a call to Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party. Paswan senior is currently hospitalized, while his son Chirag has insisted on getting a number of seats far greater than what JD (U) is willing to grant. The LJP is likely to go ahead with the slogan “Modi se bair nahi, Nitish teri khair nahi” or “There is no enmity with Modi, but he will not forgive CM and JD (U) president Nitish Kumar”.
Chirag Paswan, who has been challenging Nitish Kumar’s performance in both law and order and development, had also indicated that his party was willing to compete for 143 seats if its demands were not met. The JD (U) has maintained that its alliance in Bihar is with the BJP and not with LJP.
The LJP has reportedly said that it would not withdraw from the alliance, as the party is associated with the NDA at the national level. The LJP is said to act as BJP’s representative in the alliance.
The idea behind the arrangement is to gather the votes that are against Nitish but also in favor of Modi in the JD (U) seats.
Previously, Chirag Paswan had asked members of the party’s parliamentary board to draw up a list of 143 candidates and start campaigning in their respective constituencies. The decision had won the recognition of members of the New Delhi parliamentary board. The mood of the LJP chief shows that he is unwilling to commit to sharing seats with the JD (U).
LJP leaders were reluctant to participate in the elections under Kumar’s leadership as they were upset by his mishandling of the Covid-19 situation, floods, the migration crisis, and employment problems in the state. As far as JD (U) is concerned, party insiders say the dispute with LJP was over sharing seats before the elections.
Another round of meetings to convince Chirag Paswan to fight together in the elections in Bihar was to take place on Saturday, but had to be canceled. At least two meetings were scheduled between Chirag Paswan and Minister Amit Shah, but they had to be canceled at the last minute due to senior Paswan’s health.
Chirag Paswan took to Twitter on Sunday to report that senior Paswan underwent heart operation on Saturday and therefore his party’s parliamentary board meeting schedule for Saturday had to be postponed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, has given Kumar his stamp of approval as the face of the NDA, saying that Kumar had a “very important role” to play in moving Bihar forward on the path of progress.
The BJP will hold its Main Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Sunday to finalize the names for the upcoming elections and it is quite likely that the BJP, JD (U) and HAM will compete together.
The Bihar assembly elections will be held in three phases: the first phase will be held on October 28, the second phase will be on November 3, and the third phase will be on November 7. The vote count will be on November 10.
(With input from Payal Mehta)
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