‘Talks not over yet’: Upendra Kushwaha on seat sharing in NDA for Bihar elections

Ankita Jain,

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Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief Upendra Kushwaha on Saturday dismissed speculations of discontent among NDA constituents in Bihar over seat sharing for the upcoming assembly elections and said the talks were not over yet.

“Don’t pay attention to the rumors going around. The conversation is not over yet. Wait…! I don’t know how news is being spread in the media. If someone is planting news, it is cheating, it is betrayal,” the former Union minister said in an ex-post. Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had earlier said he was “requesting, not claiming” that his Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) be given a respectable number of seats, otherwise the party cannot contest the elections.

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

Assembly elections in the state will be held on November 6 and 11, while counting of votes will take place on November 14.

Manjhi had said, “It would be humiliating for me and my party if we are not given at least 15 seats in the upcoming assembly elections. If we get 15 seats, we can easily win at least 8-9 seats and become a recognized party.”

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Even after 10 years of its establishment, HAM remains an unrecognized party.

Manjhi said, “I have been helping the NDA for a long time. Therefore, I am requesting the NDA leaders and not making any claims. If we do not get a respectable number of seats, my party would prefer not to contest the elections. But let me make it clear that even though we will not contest the elections, our party will continue to work for the NDA allies in the coming elections.”

According to NDA sources, major allies JDU and BJP can contest elections on 102 and 101 seats respectively.

LJP (Ram Vilas), which had earlier compromised on around 20-22 seats, is now demanding at least 25 more seats. A party leader, on condition of anonymity, said, senior leaders of LJP (RV) are of the opinion that the party should get at least 45 seats.

A senior BJP leader said, “Everything is fine in the NDA… The party’s central leadership will decide on the seat-sharing arrangement and the list of candidates in a day or two.”

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