Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Saturday that the constituents of the NDA will contest the Bihar assembly elections together, asserting that the problems within the coalition will be resolved.
Prasad, the Union Law Minister, exuded confidence that the Nitish Kumar-led alliance in Bihar will win the election with a decisive mandate because of the development work done by the Centre and state government.
“NDA is one... We will contest the elections together. If there is some problem, it will be solved,” he said, replying to a question on the differences between the LJP and JD(U).
Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Chirag Paswan-led LJP have been at loggerheads for some time.
The LJP has indicated that it would field candidates against the JD(U), leading to an uneasy situation within the NDA in Bihar. Even as Paswan swears by his loyalty towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in whose cabinet his father and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan is a minister, he has often criticised the Nitish Kumar government.The elections will be held in the state in three phases from October 28 to November 7. The votes will be counted on November 10.
Speaking to reporters at the party office here, Prasad said that discussions are underway on the seat-sharing “at levels where it should be”
“This is the domain of the parliamentary board and central election committee. It is their job to decide. I can't enter their domain,” he said, replying to a question on the seat-sharing formula.
Prasad, who represents the Patna Sahib seat in the Lok Sabha, said the Nitish Kumar-led government has done a lot of work for the state's overall development.
“I am confident that the people of Bihar will bless the NDA and help it return to power with a decisive mandate because of its development work. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's love for Bihar is evident from the fact that the announcements which he made have been translated into reality,” the minister said.
In an apparent swipe at RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Prasad questioned why the photos of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi have been dropped from the party's hoardings.