The seat-sharing among the NDA constituents may prove a tough challenge for the BJP leadership. After the JD (U)-RJD and Congress distributed seats amicably, the NDA partners lJP and RlSP are mounting pressure on the BJP to finalise the seat-sharing without further delay.
RlSP headed by Union MoS for HRD Upendra Kushwaha is more vocal in making this demand and has repeatedly pleaded that his party should be given 67 seats. He also proposed the lJP should be allotted 74 seats.
This arithmetic means that the BJP will be left with only 102 seats. In 2010 Assembly election when the BJP had alliance with the JD(U) the party had contested 102 seats and won 91.
“We favour that BJP should contest all 102 seats it had contested last time. The remaining 141 seats be shared by RlSP, lJP and HAM. We have already staked claim on 67 seats,” reiterated Kushwaha, who had earlier demanded that he be projected as CM face of the NDA.
lJP and its leader Ram Vilas Paswan has so far not made any claim on seats. “We will discuss the issue with BJP leadership,” said Paswan when inquired about this issue. He however, said that his party will start workers rally in each commissionary beginning from August 28 which will be held at Samastipur. The last rally will be held on September 28.
lJP sources said the party would make claim on at least 40 seats. In 2014 lok Sabha polls the party was given seven seats and it won six of them losing only Nalanda seat. The party obtained 6.50 per cent of the total polled votes.
In 2010 Assembly election, when lJP had alliance with lalu Prasad’s RJD it had contested 75 seats but could win only three. RlSP had no existence in 2010 but in 2014 Parliamentary election, it won all the three seats it was allotted.
The BJP has still not convened formal meeting on seat sharing. But the unofficial talks are going on in the BJP circles and as the sources claimed the saffron party leaders have asserted that the party should contest 150 to 160 seats on its own and leave about 40 seats for lJP, 25-30 for RlSP and 15 seats for Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). A number of HAM MlAs have already joined BJP and more are likely to follow the suit. With majority of HAM legislators joining the BJP, the claim of the Manjhi’s party will be weakened automatically.
BJP president Amit Shad who was here on a two day visit, held a series of meeting with local BJP leaders and gave them tips for the poll preparations. Apart from seat sharing, Shah also discussed BJP’s Parivartan rath yatra and PM’s rallies and its impact.
Shah stuck up in lift: BJP president Amit Shah was stuck up in a lift at State Guest House on Friday morning and was rescued by breaking its door. Shah and four others including Bhupendra Yadav and Saudan Singh entered the lift from ground floor to reach first floor. The newly installed lift having 340 kg capacity stopped six inches before the first floor level. This caused concern among the party leaders and workers who were present there waiting for Shah. After much labour the door was somehow opened and the four people could come out.
The BJP leaders accused State administration of negligence and poor upkeep of the lift in the State Guest House. While senior leader CP Thakur suspected a conspiracy, State party chief Mangal Pandey said if the party workers did not rush to rescue Shah some unfortunate thing could have happened. Cabinet Secretary Shishir Sinha who visited the place said there was nothing wrong with the lift and it stuck up due to overweight. JD(U) spokesman Neeraj Kumar said complain of conspiracy showed mental bankruptcy of the BJP. “Everybody knows Shah is heavyweight and he had failed to do yoga,” he said.