Amit Shah to meet Bihar CM over seat-sharing

Patna: Amid reports of growing unease over seat sharing within the NDA in Bihar, the BJP has decided to resolve the issue by organising a meeting between party president Amit Shah and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.

BJP insiders said that Amit Shah will visit Patna on July 12 during his ‘Sampark for Samarthan’ campaign when he is expected to meet Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.

BJP insiders say that “preliminary round of discussion over seat sharing and other issues are likely to take place during the meeting next month”.

The meeting between the two also assumes significance because there has been simmering unease within the NDA over the issue since last one month.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s telephonic conversation with RJD chief Lalu Yadav had also created a flutter within the political circle and gave rise to speculations regarding a possible realignment of two parties once again.

Political analysts see this development as one of the main reasons behind the meeting being organized between Nitish Kumar and Amit Shah.

However, top JD(U) leaders on Wednesday rejected the speculations and asserted that the party would remain in the NDA and there was no question of aligning with RJD and Congress.

“No need to speculate about the telephonic conversation held between both the leaders as it was just a courtesy call and nothing else,” RJD leader RCP Singh said. He, however, added that 2019 general elections would be fought on the face of Nitish Kumar.

Top JD(U) leadership has also asked party spokespersons to refrain from making any statement against BJP leadership and wait till “high-level meeting is held to resolve the issue”.

JD(U) spokespersons during the past one month had been giving statements against BJP and one of the spokesmen Sanjay Singh had even gone to an extent by saying that “the BJP is free to contest on all of the 40 seats if JD (U) doesn’t get larger share during seat distribution”.

JD (U) had also earlier floated the idea of distributing seats in Bihar on the basis of 2015 assembly elections performance in which the party had emerged second largest with 71 seats.

However, BJP sources say that “distribution of seats for 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be done on the basis of fresh formula and 2014 performance is likely to be considered”.

As per the 2014 seat sharing formula, BJP had contested on 30 of the 40 seats in Bihar while other allies including Ram Vilas Paswan’s party LJP fought on 7 seats and won six seats. Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP had contested on three seats.

JD (U) which had contested separately in 2014 was reduced to two of 40 seats. The party returned to NDA fold in July 2017 and has been eyeing a larger share of seats in Bihar.

NDA currently has 33 seats (including 2 seats of the JD (U)) of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.