New Delhi: With the Bihar Assembly elections looming, NDA allies met on Monday to fine-tune their strategy. They have decided to speak in one voice and not comment on seat adjustments till these are finalised.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to address his third Bihar rally in Bhagalpur Tuesday, the NDA leaders decided they will finalise seat adjustments soon afterwards.
Lok Janshakti Party leader and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who was fielded to brief the media on Monday, said: “Any A, B, C picked up by Prime Minister Modi will be accepted by them as leader or chief minister of the state.”
The NDA meeting also decided to corner Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for supporting the leader of the Patels’ agitation in Gujarat, Hardik Patel. “Hardik Patel has said that his idol is Raj Thackeray and that he would like reservations to be abolished,” said an NDA leader.
The meeting was significant as several allies like the RLSP of Union minister Upendra Khushwaha and the LJP chief have been raising strong demands about their respective share of seats.
The NDA allies had said that the BJP should not contest more than 102 seats out of 243. The meeting, presided over by BJP president Amit Shah, was attended by top allies’ leaders, including Mr Paswan, Mr Khushwaha, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, and former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi.
The leaders decided that seat adjustments would be settled by September 6 and 7. Mr Manjhi, who leads the Hindustan Awam Morcha, said a final announcement on seat-sharing will be made by September 6 or 7.
