New Delhi: A day after the BJP-led NDA sealed the seat-sharing pact for the coming Bihar Assembly elections, key ally Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) indicated that it was not happy with the arrangement as it did not get the number of seats that was promised to it.
While insisting there was “no smoke without fire”, LJP Parliamentary Board chairman Chirag Paswan, Ram Vilas Paswan’s son, made it clear, however, that his party was not going to quit the NDA over the issue despite the discontent among the party’s rank and file.
Mr Chirag Paswan had met BJP president Amit Shah late on Monday evening after reports started emerging that the LJP was unhappy with the seat-sharing formula.
Mr Shah announced the seat-sharing formula on Monday after placating another major ally, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). The BJP, meanwhile, held its central election committee meeting on Tuesday, that was also attended by PM Narendra Modi, Mr Shah and senior leaders to finalise some candidates’ names.
Mr Chirag Paswan said though his party was “taken aback” by the seat-sharing formula, the alliance was “intact”. As per the formula, the BJP will contest 160 of the 243 Assembly seats, with the LJP contesting 40 seats, Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP 23 and HAM contesting 20 Assembly constituencies.
“There was no anger but discontent as there was a difference between the seat-sharing formula we were told about earlier and what was announced yesterday. So we were taken aback... We were not angry, but definitely there were concerns in the party. We were shocked. There is no smoke without fire,” Mr Chirag Paswan said.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan also met Mr Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday to discuss the situation. Without disclosing details of his meeting with Mr Shah, Mr Chirag Paswan said he apprised the BJP president of his party’s concerns.
“We are happy that our concerns have been honoured,” said Mr Paswan, but refused to clarify if the LJP would get some additional seats as part of a “solution” of its concerns. Mr Paswan said there was no question of any dispute with Mr Manjhi or any reason over which it would quit the NDA.
