NEW DELHI/PATNA : While there had been talks of unease between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress over seat-sharing in Bihar, former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday said that both the parties, along with the Left parties, have reached an agreement to contest Lok Sabha elections together and an announcement would be made in a day or two.
“Our alliance has been the oldest. We have been together under different circumstances and contested elections against the ideology of the BJP. We are together and the news about the breaking of our alliance is BJP’s agenda being circulated,” said the RJD leader after holding a meeting with Congress leaders at the residence of MP Mukul Wasnik in Delhi.
Talks of unease between Congress and Lalu Prasad’s RJD was rife when the latter allocated symbols to candidates before finalising seat allocations.
Meanwhile, five seats in the state are being seen as the source of seat-sharing discord between the grand alliance allies. Congress, RJD and three Left parties have staked claims to Aurangabad, Begusarai, Katihar, Purnea and Siwan.
Lalu fielded JD(U) turncoat Abhay Kushwaha from Aurangabad, infuriating Congress leader Nikhil Kumar, a claimant to the seat.
RJD and Congress are staking claim to Purnea seat. While RJD wants to field former MLA Bima Bharti from Purnea, Congress wanted to give ticket to Pappu Yadav from the seat.
Similarly, RJD wants to give ticket to former assembly speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary from Siwan, but CPI (ML) is also adamant on the seat.
Congress want to field Kanhaiya Kumar from Begusarai, but CPI named its three-time MLA Awadhesh Kumar Rai.
RLJP prez meets BJP brass
Meanwhile, trouble has not ended for Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) chief Pashupati Kumar Paras, who was recently sidelined by the BJP in favour of his nephew and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan. After Chirag, Bihar RLJP president Prince Raj had a meeting with a senior BJP leader on Tuesday. Prince is the son of former LJP MP (late) Ram Chandra Paswan, younger brother of LJP founder (late) Ram Vilas Paswan.