New Delhi [India], October 12 : Political parties in Bihar have stepped up preparations for the forthcoming assembly polls, with a series of meetings in Delhi and Patna aimed at firming up seat distribution.
Both the ruling NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan are engaged in hectic parleys over claims for seats. BJP Central Election Committee is likely to meet on Sunday in the national capital to finalise the names of candidates for the Bihar elections, sources said on Saturday.
A meeting of senior NDA leaders was held at the residence of BJP president and Union Minister JP Nadda on Saturday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister and Hidustan Awam Morcha (Secular) (HAM)(S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, Bihar BJP in-charge Vinod Tawde, Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal, and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary were among the leaders who attended the meeting.
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United) (JDU), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha. NDA leaders have been engaged in discussions on seat distribution.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) held a meeting of its senior leaders in the national capital to strategise ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Party MP Shambhavi Chaudhary said the party held a central parliamentary board meeting, chaired by party chief Chirag Paswan. She said the party's national president will take the final decision on seat sharing.
She also added that "talks are still ongoing".
"Today, there was a meeting of our central parliamentary board. This meeting was chaired by the national president, Chirag Paswan. All MPs and office-bearers of the party were present in it. A very positive and good discussion took place," Chaudhary said.
"We have authorised our national president, Chirag Paswan, to take the final decision. Whatever the final decision regarding the alliance, seat or selection of seats will be, our national president, Chirag Paswan, will take it," she added.
Janata Dal (United) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha stated that the NDA government will be formed under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on November 14, following the declaration of the Bihar poll results.
Bihar polls will take place on November 6 and November 11, and votes will be counted on November 14.
"The people are with Nitish Kumar. On November 14, a government will be formed under the leadership of Nitish Kumar," Jha told reporters.
Jha said earlier this week that the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will contest the Bihar Assembly elections "unitedly".
"The NDA will contest the election unitedly. The biggest issue in these elections is where Bihar will be in the next 25 years after the formation of the Government. When the era of liberalisation began in 1991, the IT industry and investment came to several states. Over the past 15 years, Bihar has experienced negative growth. When there should have been an IT setup here, 'Charwaha Vidyalaya' was being established instead. Instead of industries, the kidnapping industry was set up here," he said.
"Then Nitish Kumar came to power here. In 20 years, Bihar entered a take-off stage. Roads, electricity, law and order, and women's empowerment - he has worked on all of these. Bihar is in fourth gear. We need to shift into fifth gear. The election will decide whether we have to enter fifth gear or back gear," the JD(U) leader added.
Earlier on Saturday, Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha termed the reports in the media about "consensus" on seat-sharing in the National Democratic Alliance for the two-phased Bihar assembly polls as "incorrect", and talks are still underway in the NDA.
His clarification came as he was heading to New Delhi to participate in the seat-sharing talks, which were scheduled to resume there.
"The reports in the media about consensus on seat sharing in the NDA, which show some seats being allotted to my party also, are incorrect. Discussions are still ongoing within the NDA. I have been called to Delhi by the BJP leadership, and I am heading to Delhi, and talks will resume there," Upendra Kushwaha clarified.
Meanwhile, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) Chief Chirag Paswan remained tight-lipped about the seat-sharing announcement.
"I have nothing to say now. All seat-sharing-related announcements will be made later," Paswan said in a brief remark as he was on his way from his residence in Delhi to the party office to have a possible discussion on seat-sharing.
The Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) will be announcing their candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections on October 13 (Monday), the party's founder and former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tej Pratap Yadav said on Saturday.
Yadav himself will be contesting from the Mahua assembly constituency, the same seat he had won during the 2015 elections, while he was in the RJD.
"I will declare my candidates the day after tomorrow. Parso jordaar ailaan hoga (Day after tomorrow, big announcements will be made)...I will contest from Mahua", the JJD founder said. When asked about whether he is talking with other parties, he said, "Everyone is coming to meet me".
Tej Pratap Yadav is the son of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. He was previously expelled from the party.
RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari dismissed reports of internal conflicts within the Mahagathbandhan on Saturday, stating that everything is fine within the alliance.
He emphasised that seat-sharing decisions have been made and will be announced soon.
Speaking with ANI, he said, "There is no problem anywhere in the 'Mahagathbandhan'. Everything is fine. The decision on seat-sharing has been made, and it will be announced very soon."
Tiwari slammed the BJP, saying the party is struggling to save its existence in Bihar and holding meetings from Delhi to Patna to address its issues.
"There is a tussle in the NDA, but everything is fine with us... The BJP claims to be the world's largest party, but in the Bihar elections, it is going from town to town, door to door, to save its existence. Meetings are being held from Delhi to Patna, yet things are not fine there..." Tiwari told ANI.
In a major blow to the Janata Dal (United), its former lawmakers, Santosh Kumar Kushwaha and Rahul Sharma, have joined the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
Former Purnea MP Santosh Kushwaha reasoned that the party's unfair distribution of power and lack of touch with ground reality led to his decision.
Speaking with ANI, Kushwaha expressed his confidence in Tejashwi Yadav's leadership."Right now, JDU is in the hands of a few people... Its leadership is handled by people who have no experience of ground reality. We said that there can be no compromise on self-respect. None of our concerns were heard... I am confident that under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav, Bihar will move forward, and on 14 November, a government will be formed under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav," he said.
Congress leader Manoj Kumar slammed the NDA government in Bihar on Saturday, saying that the state's situation has been "deplorable" over the past twenty years.
"There is a mess in the NDA... Bihar has been in a state of ruin for 20 years; the condition of health and education is deplorable," he told reporters.