The BJP has conceded Janata Dal(U) demand for “respectable” number of seats by agreeing to contest on 17 seats, five less than the number of MPs who got elected on the lotus symbol from the State in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
The JD(U) will contest 16 seats, and the remaining seven seats from the State would be shared by Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP (five) and the RLSP of Upendra Kushwaha (two).
Sources said the agreement was finalised in a meeting among Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Delhi last month.
In 2014 BJP won 22, LJP six and RLSP three seats. As per the deal, BJP is going to sacrifice its five wining seats and LJP and RLSP one each. Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha sears.
Sources in the JD(U) claimed that the top BJP leadership had to succumb before the rigid stand of Nitish, who had made it clear that his party would not agree on any deal in which he will get lesser seats than the BJP. Earlier, there had been unconfirmed reports that the BJP would contest 20 seats and leave remaining 20 seats to its allies: JD(U), LJP and RLSP.
Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha seats and in last election JD(U) which contested alone could win just two seats.
It is expected that the seat sharing formula would be formally announced this week but there was still no confirmation if the BJP top brass has sought the nod of its two other allies. There were reports that Kushwaha was not comfortable with this arrangement. In case his party RLSP, breaks alliance and walks out, the two seats earmarked for Kushwaha might be divided between the BJP and JD(U).