Patna: With the Bihar Assembly elections approaching, negotiations over seat sharing within both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Grand Alliance remain unsettled, as smaller allies push for what they describe as respectable arrangements.
Sources say talks within the NDA are stuck over demands from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Hindustani Awam Morcha, while in the Grand Alliance, Congress, the Left parties, and Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) are seeking a larger slice from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
VIP chief Mukesh Sahni told reporters in Patna that discussions would soon be resolved. “The model code of conduct is set to come into effect next month, so all parties are seriously engaged in finalizing seat sharing. We hope that by October 2 it will be clear which party will contest how many seats,” he said. Sahni stressed that the Grand Alliance was “completely united” and that there was “no confusion.”
Responding to Union home minister Amit Shah’s claim that the BJP would “throw out infiltrators,” Sahni accused the party of using divisive rhetoric. “Narendra Modi has been Prime Minister for 11 years and Nitish Kumar has been Chief Minister of Bihar for 20 years. When the voter list was revised, why wasn’t a single infiltrator found? This time, the people of Bihar will bless the Grand Alliance and give it a chance to form the government,” he said.
Seat-sharing arrangements are expected to become the central focus in both alliances as the Election Commission prepares to announce the schedule for Bihar’s 243-seat assembly polls next month.
