Bihar polls: BJP may finalise seat sharing by September

PATNA (TIP): Under pressure from its allies in Bihar to finalise the seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Assembly polls, the BJP indicated on Thursday that it would seal the deal in the first week of September.

Speaking to reporters, BJP general secretary in-charge of Bihar Bhupender Yadav said they had informally met leaders of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) over the seat-sharing arrangement and formal talks over the issue will be held in the first week of September. The BJP’s allies have been mounting pressure on the party’s leadership to finalise the seat-sharing arrangement at the earliest.

Sources said the LJP wants to contest from 75 seats, while the RLSP has sought 66 seats for itself. Former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Morcha is learnt to have demanded 40 seats. The BJP, on its part, wants to contest on at least 160 seats in the 243-member assembly. Yadav said the campaign in the state, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has already put development on the centre stage of the campaign. He said Modi’s rallies had set off a “storm of change” in the state which Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his foe-turned-ally Lalu Prasad ruled for 25 years between them.

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