All is not well within the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in Bihar. Just a day after BJP president Amit Shah announced the seat sharing agreement, Lok Janshakti Party made it clear that it was "shocked" with the final tally which will see the party contesting only 40 of the 243 seats in Bihar Assembly elections.
Who is the tallest Dalit/Mahadalit leader in Bihar? This question has seen LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) cross swords on many occasions in the last few weeks and it is once again at the centre of seat sharing announced by the BJP. While all NDA partners were present when Amit Shah announced seat sharing for Bihar Assembly elections on Monday afternoon, but differences between the LJP and HAM leaders are far from bridged.
On Tuesday morning LJP Parliamentary Board Chairperson and Ram Vilas Paswan's son Chirag made it clear that his party was shocked when Shah announced the seats sharing under which BJP will contest 160 seats, LJP 40, RLSP 23 and HAM 20. Denying that his party had any differences with Manjhi, Chirag at the same time gave enough hints that all was not well within the NDA by declaring that the formula to be used for seat sharing conveyed to them was different from the one which was used to finally make the announcement.
"Yes, we were shocked with the developments that took place on Monday. A formula was agreed on and we were told about the number of seats that we could expect. We were taken aback by the numbers that were finally announced," he said in New Delhi on Tuesday.
However, he dismissed reports of breaking out of the NDA. "We have adjusted to the numbers given to us. RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha and Manjhi are very close allies, they are like family to us," he said and added that the priority was to defeat the Mahagathbandhan of Janata Dal United-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress.
There were reports that the Paswans were upset as they were reportedly promised 41-42 seats but their quota of seats went to Manjhi and finally they have been allotted have been given 40 seats instead.
After several rounds of hectic discussions, party president Amit Shah announced that the BJP will be fighting the polls on 160 seats, while the allies have been given 83 seats. Some HAM leaders would be fighting as BJP candidates.
The five-phase polling for the 243-member assembly begins from October 12 and concludes on November 5. Counting of votes will take place on November 8.
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