Patna: The seat-sharing in the grand alliance has turned out to be a thorny affair as most of the political parties including the Congress have been demanding sizeable seat share for the general elections.
According to sources, a final announcement is likely to be made in Patna on Wednesday. Reports suggest that the RJD has agreed to give nine seats to the Congress party. However, a section in Congress party has been demanding eleven seats for the Lok Sabha elections.
Sources said that the situation occurred after RJD turned down Congress party’s earlier demand for sizeable seat share and reduced it to eight seats.
On Friday Congress party’s campaign committee chairman Akhilesh Singh had said that “the party has already shortlisted the names of eleven candidates”.
As per the formula being finalised the RJD is willing to contest on 20 seats, other regional parties like Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP may get four seats, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s party HAM is likely to get three, Sharad Yadav’s RLD and Mukesh Sahni’s Vikasheel Insan Party may get two seats each.
“Congress party’s stand on the issue of seat sharing is the main reason behind the delay. There are other parties in the grand alliance who also have to prepare for the Lok Sabha elections.
The final decision is to be taken by the Congress party in order to remain the grand alliance”, a senior RJD leader told this newspaper on Tuesday.
RJD has also been trying to accommodate left parties into the grand alliance. Party insiders said that CPI and CPI-ML were offered two seats each earlier but the deal couldn’t be finalised due to Congress party’s stand on the issue of seat sharing.
Talking to reporters regarding the issue, CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said that, “political parties must assess the situation on the ground instead of sitting and discussing in New Delhi”.
Reports suggest that CPI-ML along with CPI may contest separately if seat-sharing talks did not work out with RJD led grand alliance. The two left parties have already shortlisted six seats each for the Lok Sabha elections. However, in a statement, CPI-ML state secretary Kunal clarified that “the party will take decisions after consulting RJD”.
He also announced the name of All India Student Association (AISA) president Raju Yadav as CPI-ML candidate from Ara constituency.
