The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar on Saturday officially sealed the deal for distribution of 24 vacant State Legislative Council seats for which election is likely to be held in February-March.
“For the last four elections, both the BJP and the JD(U) have been contesting together and this time too, we’ve come together to contest the upcoming State Council poll. The BJP will contest from 13 seats, out of which it will spare one seat to alliance partner, the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) led by Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras. The JD(U) will contest from 11 seats,” announced senior BJP leader and Bihar in-charge of the party Bhupendra Yadav. Asked about accommodating two other NDA allies, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), Mr. Yadav kept repeating: “We’ll take our alliance partners into confidence.”
Senior JD(U) leader and State Education Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary and State party president Umesh Kushwaha too were present on the occasion. “We’ve agreed on the seats mutually and respectfully. The BJP will accommodate alliance partner RLJP,” said Mr. Choudhary.
Of the 24 Council seats falling vacant, 13 were held by the BJP, eight by the JD(U), two by the RJD and one seat by the Congress.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) leaders are in Delhi to finalise seat sharing.
Earlier, RJD chief Lalu Prasad had indicated that the Congress might be given six-seven seats out of the 24 Council seats.
