‘Talks not yet concluded’: Upendra Kushwaha on seat-sharing in NDA for Bihar polls

Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) leader Upendra Kushwaha on Saturday dismissed speculation about rumblings of discontent among NDA voters in Bihar over seat sharing for the upcoming Assembly polls and said the talks were not over yet.

The former Union minister, in an Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had earlier said that he was “demanding and not claiming” that his Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) should be given a respectable number of seats, otherwise the party might not contest the elections.

Another Union minister, Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti (Ram Vilas) Party, which had earlier settled for around 20-22 seats, is now said to be demanding at least 25 more.

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The legislative elections in the state will be held on November 6 and 11, while votes will be counted on November 14.

“It will be a humiliation for me and my party if we do not get at least 15 seats in the next polls. If we get 15, we can easily win at least 8-9 seats and will become a recognized party,” Manjhi had said.

Even after 10 years of creation, HAM remains a little-known party.

“I have been helping the NDA for a long time. So I am appealing to the NDA leadership and am not making any complaints. My party would prefer not to contest the elections if we do not get a respectable number of seats. But I must make it clear that even if we do not contest the elections, our party will continue to work for the NDA partners in the coming polls,” Manjhi said.

According to sources within the NDA, the biggest allies, the JD(U) and the BJP, are expected to contest 102 and 101 seats respectively.

The LJP (Ram Vilas), which had settled for around 20 to 22 seats, is now demanding at least 25 more. Senior LJP (RV) leaders are of the view that the party should get at least 45 seats, a party leader said on condition of anonymity.

“Everything is fine in the NDA…seat sharing modalities and list of candidates will be decided by the central leadership of the party in a day or two,” a senior BJP leader said.

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