Bihar elections: Seat-sharing buzz as top BJP leaders meet Nitish

PATNA: BJP national general secretary and Bihar in-charge Bhupendra Yadav, state president Dr Sanjay Jaiswal and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi held a one-and-a-half-hour long meeting with JD (U) chief and CM Nitish Kumar at his 1, Anney Marg residence in Patna on Wednesday evening.
Sources claimed that deliberations were held on the nomination of two vacant seats in the legislative council as well as seat-sharing in the upcoming assembly election and other poll-related issues.
Dr Jaiswal described it as a courtesy meeting. “Discussions were held on various ambitious schemes of the Centre, including Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana scheme, which has been extended till November end,” he told TOI.
But a senior JD (U) functionary said it was very likely that talks were held on the issue of governor’s nomination for 12 vacant seats in the legislative council and seat-sharing for assembly polls.
“Since Election Commission (EC) is doing poll preparations in full swing considering that assembly polls will be held as scheduled in October-November, thus it is obvious that talks will start on seat- sharing. Today’s meeting was possibly the first round of talks in this regard,” he said.
With regard to vacant seats in legislative council, the JD (U) functionary claimed that out of the 12 vacant seats, it was initially proposed that JD (U) will get seven and five will go to BJP.
BJP sources claimed that it has demanded seven seats out of which it may give one or two to third ally LJP. JD (U) would get five seats under this formula.
LJP sources, on the other hand, claimed that the party has demanded two seats from the governor’s quota.
Meanwhile, LJP on Wednesday suspended its Munger district president Raghvendra Bharti from his post for giving a statement to media persons that “NDA is completely intact”. A statement issued by LJP’s general secretary Shahnawaz Ahmad Kaifi stated that only party president Chirag Paswan will take a final decision or put a stamp on the alliance.