PATNA: BJP and JD(U), the leading allies of NDA in Bihar, on Saturday reached an amicable seat-sharing arrangement for the forthcoming elections to the state legislative council from 24 local authorities’ constituencies.
As per the agreement, the BJP would contest 12 seats, JD(U)- 11 and Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras-led Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP)– one seat.
However, no seat was spared for other two NDA allies – former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha- Secular (HAM-S) and Mukesh Sahni-led the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP)—While Manjhi had been demanding two seats, out of total 24, Sahni four seats.
The seat-sharing arrangement was announced by senior leaders of BJP and JDU at a specially-convened joint press-conference at a local hotel, hours after they held a meeting with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar at the latter’s residence to give final touch to the agreement.
Disclosing the seat-sharing deal, Union minister and senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav said, “As per the deal between the two parties, the BJP will get 13 seats out of total 24, while JD(U) -11. But, the BJP will spare its one seat for the Paras-led RLJP.”
Senior JD(U) leader and state’s parliamentary affairs & education minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said as the BJP informed us that it would have to spare one seat for another ally (RLJP), the JD(U) too agreed to take only 11 seats. Earlier, JD(U) had been demanding 12 seats from the BJP on the basis of 50:50 formula of seat-sharing.
As requested by Bhupender Yadav, Choudhary further read out the names of the local authorities’ constituencies allotted to the different parties.
“The 12 seats which have been allotted to the BJP are Rohtas, Aurangabad, Saran, Siwan, Darbhanga, East Champaran, Kishanganj, Katihar, Saharsa, Gopalganj, Begusarai and Samastipur. The RLJP has been allotted Vaishali seat from the BJP quota,” JD(U) leader Choudhary said.
The rest 11 seats which have been allotted to the JD(U) are Patna, Bhojpur, Gaya, Nalanda, Muzaffarpur, West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Bhagalpur, Munger, Nawada and Madhubani, Choudhary said.
Earlier in the day, Union minister Yadav, accompanied by the state BJP president Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal and deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad reached the CM residence and held an hour long talk with Nitish to finalise the seat-sharing between the BJP and the JD(U). Choudhary was also present during the talk with the CM.
Just like the seat-sharing agreement for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when BJP had sacrificed its five sitting seats to the JD(U), the saffron party on Saturday sacrificed one of the sitting council seats- Madhubani for its smaller ally in Bihar. The BJP’s Suman Kumar Mahaseth had won Madhubani seat in the last council polls held in July 2015, but now the seat has been allotted to the JD(U).
Except Madhubani, the BJP saved its all other 12 ‘sitting’ seats while finalizing the deal with the JD(U).
In the last elections for 24 council seats held in July 2015, the BJP had won 11 seats, the JD(U) five, RJD-four, LJP –one, Congress- one and Independents– two seats. But later on, one of the independent MLCs Ashok Kumar Agarwal (Katihar) and the erstwhile Lok Janshakti Party’s lone MLC Nutan Singh joined the BJP, taking its total number of sitting seats to 13.
Similarly, RJD’s three MLCs—Radha Charan Sah (Bhojpur)), Dilip Rai (Sitamarhi) and Sanjay Prasad (Muger) joined the JD(U), taking its number to eight. The Congress MLC Rajesh Ram (West Champaran) also joined the JD(U) after the end of his term as the MLC. Thus, the total number of so-called ‘sitting’ seats of the JD(U) rose up to nine. Still, the JD(U) got two more seats than its nine sitting seats – These two seats are Madhubani and Patna, which was last won by the RJD’s Ritlal Rai.
On being asked that the VIP had threatened to field its candidates from all 24 seats, if it was not allotted four seats, Choudhary said, “We will take all NDA allies in confidence.” The BJP leaders too said that they would take all NDA allies in confidence before contesting the council polls.
Reacting over the BJP-JD(U) deal, the VIP spokesperson Rajiv Mishra told TOI on Saturday said, “As the BJP and JD(U) have said that they would take all allies in confidence, we will sit together with the BJP leaders and hold talks.”
Reacting over the seat-sharing agreement between the BJP and JD(U), HAM-S spokespersons Danish Rizwan on Saturday said, “Though we are disappointed over non-holding of a joint meeting of all NDA allies before seat-sharing, we will not take any adverse step to destroy Bihar only for the two council seats. We strongly believe that Bihar is developing in all spheres under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar.”
As per the agreement, the BJP would contest 12 seats, JD(U)- 11 and Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras-led Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP)– one seat.
However, no seat was spared for other two NDA allies – former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha- Secular (HAM-S) and Mukesh Sahni-led the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP)—While Manjhi had been demanding two seats, out of total 24, Sahni four seats.
The seat-sharing arrangement was announced by senior leaders of BJP and JDU at a specially-convened joint press-conference at a local hotel, hours after they held a meeting with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar at the latter’s residence to give final touch to the agreement.
Disclosing the seat-sharing deal, Union minister and senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav said, “As per the deal between the two parties, the BJP will get 13 seats out of total 24, while JD(U) -11. But, the BJP will spare its one seat for the Paras-led RLJP.”
Senior JD(U) leader and state’s parliamentary affairs & education minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said as the BJP informed us that it would have to spare one seat for another ally (RLJP), the JD(U) too agreed to take only 11 seats. Earlier, JD(U) had been demanding 12 seats from the BJP on the basis of 50:50 formula of seat-sharing.
As requested by Bhupender Yadav, Choudhary further read out the names of the local authorities’ constituencies allotted to the different parties.
“The 12 seats which have been allotted to the BJP are Rohtas, Aurangabad, Saran, Siwan, Darbhanga, East Champaran, Kishanganj, Katihar, Saharsa, Gopalganj, Begusarai and Samastipur. The RLJP has been allotted Vaishali seat from the BJP quota,” JD(U) leader Choudhary said.
The rest 11 seats which have been allotted to the JD(U) are Patna, Bhojpur, Gaya, Nalanda, Muzaffarpur, West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Bhagalpur, Munger, Nawada and Madhubani, Choudhary said.
Earlier in the day, Union minister Yadav, accompanied by the state BJP president Sanjay Kumar Jaiswal and deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad reached the CM residence and held an hour long talk with Nitish to finalise the seat-sharing between the BJP and the JD(U). Choudhary was also present during the talk with the CM.
Just like the seat-sharing agreement for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when BJP had sacrificed its five sitting seats to the JD(U), the saffron party on Saturday sacrificed one of the sitting council seats- Madhubani for its smaller ally in Bihar. The BJP’s Suman Kumar Mahaseth had won Madhubani seat in the last council polls held in July 2015, but now the seat has been allotted to the JD(U).
Except Madhubani, the BJP saved its all other 12 ‘sitting’ seats while finalizing the deal with the JD(U).
In the last elections for 24 council seats held in July 2015, the BJP had won 11 seats, the JD(U) five, RJD-four, LJP –one, Congress- one and Independents– two seats. But later on, one of the independent MLCs Ashok Kumar Agarwal (Katihar) and the erstwhile Lok Janshakti Party’s lone MLC Nutan Singh joined the BJP, taking its total number of sitting seats to 13.
Similarly, RJD’s three MLCs—Radha Charan Sah (Bhojpur)), Dilip Rai (Sitamarhi) and Sanjay Prasad (Muger) joined the JD(U), taking its number to eight. The Congress MLC Rajesh Ram (West Champaran) also joined the JD(U) after the end of his term as the MLC. Thus, the total number of so-called ‘sitting’ seats of the JD(U) rose up to nine. Still, the JD(U) got two more seats than its nine sitting seats – These two seats are Madhubani and Patna, which was last won by the RJD’s Ritlal Rai.
On being asked that the VIP had threatened to field its candidates from all 24 seats, if it was not allotted four seats, Choudhary said, “We will take all NDA allies in confidence.” The BJP leaders too said that they would take all NDA allies in confidence before contesting the council polls.
Reacting over the BJP-JD(U) deal, the VIP spokesperson Rajiv Mishra told TOI on Saturday said, “As the BJP and JD(U) have said that they would take all allies in confidence, we will sit together with the BJP leaders and hold talks.”
Reacting over the seat-sharing agreement between the BJP and JD(U), HAM-S spokespersons Danish Rizwan on Saturday said, “Though we are disappointed over non-holding of a joint meeting of all NDA allies before seat-sharing, we will not take any adverse step to destroy Bihar only for the two council seats. We strongly believe that Bihar is developing in all spheres under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar.”
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