PATNA: With the announcement of poll schedule for the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, hectic parleys among the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition bloc are underway.
The Opposition bloc comprising RJD, Congress, VIP, and Left parties, however, claimed on Tuesday that a seat-sharing deal has been finalised and the same would be announced in a day or two.
Former minister and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani claimed that the seat-sharing formula among the allies of Mahagathbandhan, a part of the INDIA bloc, has been finalised.
The number of seats to be allotted to each partner and names of bloc’s chief ministerial face as well as deputy chief minister would also be announced, he told this reporter.
According to insiders, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is expected to play the role of ‘senior’ partner in the alliance while Congress is appearing to compromise with just 55-57 seats and giving up all the seats in Patna district.
The seat-sharing formula was finalised after the intervention of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, as VIP was adamant on its demand for the deputy chief minister’s post.
The proposed seat-sharing arrangement allocates 125 seats to RJD, 55 to 57 seats to Congress, 35 seats to three Left parties, 20 seats to VIP, three seats to Pashupati Kumar Paras’ Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) and two seats to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
Sources, however, claimed that CPI-ML was not satisfied with number of seats allotted to it.
D. Raja, general secretary of CPI, who reached here to attend a meeting of Opposition bloc on seat-sharing, told the media that everything within the Opposition bloc would be finalised smoothly.
Congress has agreed to forgo some of its traditional seats in this election.
For instance, the party has agreed to give up all the seats in Patna district. In the 2020 assembly election, Congress contested four seats in Patna district. These seats may go into RJD’s kitty.
In addition, several seats which were earlier held by Congress, including Sursand (Sitamarhi), Jale (Darbhanga), and Raja Pakar (Vaishali) may go to RJD.
The sitting MLA from Raja Pakar is Pratima Singh. But RJD wants to field Shivchandra Ram from this seat. JMM is also expected to enter the political fray in Bihar.
It is eyeing seats along with the Jharkhand border. Sources said that the party may be given two seats in the seat-sharing deal, although its demand is reportedly higher.
Similarly, RLJP is to get three seats, the list of which has already been submitted to Tejashwi Yadav, who is the chairman of the coordination committee of the INDIA bloc.
In NDA, BJP and JD(U) are likely to contest almost equal number of seats, with a total of 205 seats being divided between the two major allies.
The remaining seats are to be distributed among smaller NDA allies—Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM).
Sources said that the BJP has offered 25 seats to Chirag Paswan’s LJP(RV), seven seats to HAM led by Jitan Ram Manjhi and six seats to Upendra Kushwaha’s RLM. However, negotiations with Chirag Paswan are going on and may reach a consensus by Tuesday evening.
A source said that if Paswan’s share of seats increases, it may result in a reduction of seats to Kushwaha’s RLM. In the case that the smaller allies' seat share is reduced, the BJP may compensate them with offers of Rajya Sabha or Legislative Council seats.
All top leaders of NDA from Bihar are camping in New Delhi to give final touch to seat allocation.
Bihar assembly elections are to be held in two phases—first on November 6 and second on November 11. The counting of votes will take place on November 14. The election process will be concluded by November 16. The term of the present state assembly expires on November 22.
