Amit Shah to Meet Nitish Kumar in Patna, Seat Sharing Talks and Poll Preparations on Agenda

Patna: BJP president Amit Shah will hold discussions with JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over breakfast and dinner during his visit to Patna on Thursday. This comes amid reports of differences between the two parties over seat sharing agreement for 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state for 2019 LS elections.

Leaders from both sides are hopeful that the differences will be resolved when Nitish Kumar and Amit Shah will sit together. Amid repeated assertions by spokesmen of the JD(U) that it was the "elder brother" in the coalition, BJP spokesman, Sambit Patra, who was in Patna on Monday, accepted that Nitish Kumar was naturally the leader of NDA in Bihar as he was heading the coalition being Chief Minister.

With the return of JD(U) to the NDA, the fresh allotment of seats among partners seems to be a difficult task.

On Monday, Nitish Kumar made it clear that his party's alliance with the BJP was limited to Bihar, a reason why the JD(U) had been fielding candidates in a number of states against the BJP. Kumar, however, asserted that the question of his party becoming a part of an anti-BJP alliance elsewhere did not arise.

Kumar dismissed the reports of rift in the alliance calling it 'hot air'. "All the issues relating to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be sorted out in due course and the outcome would be made public. There is no hurry," he said.

According to a state BJP release, Shah will arrive in Patna at 10am. From the airport, he will proceed to the state guest house where he will "have breakfast with Nitish Kumar and other senior leaders".

"After hectic day-long activities, Mr Shah will have dinner at the chief minister's official residence," the release said.

"Amit Shah's Bihar tour will be grand and historic. Under his leadership, the party has emerged as the largest political outfit in the world," BJP state president Nityanand Rai was quoted as having said in the release.

Amit Shah will formally put in motion the preparations for Lok Sabha election as He will directly interact with party leaders from booth level to state level at Bapu Sabhagar.

As per schedule, he will interact with social media unit of the state for an hour followed by meeting with party Vistaraks.

After taking lunch at the venue itself, He will discuss election strategies with the heads of Shakti Kendra, who are considered Party's micro level poll managers.