PATNA: All eyes are set on the crucial meeting of RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav with senior Congress leaders—Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge—in New Delhi on Monday to seal the seat-sharing arrangements among Opposition INDIA bloc partners for the high-stakes Bihar Assembly elections.
While the elections are scheduled to be held in two phases—November 6 and 11—the counting of votes will take place on November 14. The nomination for the first phase is underway.
Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani admitted that some technical issues have delayed the announcement of the seat allocation. “I am leaving for New Delhi where all the issues related to seat-sharing will be resolved,” he said before leaving for Delhi from Patna on Sunday.
Sahani said that Lalu and Tejashwi were already in Delhi. “I have been asked to come to Delhi for proposed meeting slated for Monday. Once the issues are resolved, the announcement on seat allocation will be made,” he said, adding that INDIA bloc would contest election unitedly.
Before leaving for Delhi, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad said, “Seat-sharing talks are underway. Everything will be settled and declaration on seat-sharing pact will be made soon,” he said. Earlier, Tejashwi said that there was no political purpose of his Delhi visit.
He said they have been summoned to depose before a court in connection with a case. Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi and Tejashwi have to appear before the court in the railways land for job scam case on Monday. Tejashwi parried questions on seat-sharing deal. “We have been summoned by the court in Delhi. You (media) have got ‘masala’ and run it the whole day,” he said.
Meanwhile, two RJD MLAs—Vibha Devi and Prakash Veer—resigned from their posts and sent their resignation letters to Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav. Vibha Devi, wife of former MLA Raj Ballabh Prasad, is MLA from Nawada while Prakash Veer represents Rajauli seat.
Though they have not yet declared it, but sources said that they may be inducted in JD(U) and fielded from their respective constituencies.
‘Technical issues’ behind delay, says VIP president
Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani admitted that some technical issues have delayed the announcement of the seat allocation. “I am leaving for New Delhi where all the issues related to seat-sharing will be resolved,” he said before leaving for Delhi from Patna on Sunday.
