PATNA: Ahead of formal seat-sharing talks among the constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc in Bihar, Janata Dal (United) on Friday toughened its stand contending that it would “surely” contest the 16 sitting seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
Senior JD(U) leader and Bihar’s water resources minister Sanjay Jha said there was no question of his party conceding its sitting seats — the ones it contested in the 2019 polls — to other allies of ‘INDIA’ in the state. A final decision on seat-sharing should be taken as early as possible, he said, adding that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar wanted to complete the process in October itself but it could not happen due to Congress’ preoccupation with the assembly elections held in five states recently.
Responding to a query, Jha, considered a close confidante of Nitish, claimed that seat-sharing would be complete by this month. “It is already late. As soon as seat-sharing process is complete, respective constituents of INDIA bloc will start preparations for elections,” he said, adding that INDIA alliance will win all 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Meanwhile, Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh said all INDIA allies had to adopt a flexible approach on seat-sharing. He said all allies should be shrewd enough to formulate a seamless strategy. “Since Congress is a national party, it should be allotted seats accordingly,” he remarked.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, JD(U) had emerged victorious on 16 of the 17 seats it contested, while the BJP-JD(U)alliance won all 17 seats where it fielded candidates. Lok Janshakti Party of late Ram Vilas Paswan had also won all six seats it contested.
The grand alliance at that time had RJD, Congress, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). RJD had contested 20 seats, Congress nine, RLSP on five, HAM and VIP three each.