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Lok Sabha Election 2019: Congress, RJD seal Bihar deal, name candidates

The announcement comes after several rounds of meetings and roadblocks that almost led to the disintegration of the alliance.

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Ticket seekers and supporters demonstrate outside the Congress office in Patna on Friday
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Putting all speculations to rest, the Opposition alliance in Bihar on Friday announced its seat-sharing formula for the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state as well as its candidates for the first phase of the polls.

The announcement comes after several rounds of meetings and roadblocks that almost led to the disintegration of the alliance.

According to the Mahagathbandhan deal, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the single-largest party in Bihar assembly, has been allotted 20 seats. From this, it will leave one seat for CPI (ML-L).

The Congress will pitch its candidates on 9 seats, with the understanding that the first Rajya Sabha seat from Mahagathbandhan quota after the polls, will send a Congress leader to the Upper House.

Former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) will contest on five seats, while ex-CM Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) and Son of Mallah fame Mukesh Sahni's Vikasshil Insan Party (VIP) will contest on three seats each. Both Kushwaha and Manjhi were earlier a party of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but switched over after JD-U's re-entry into the alliance.

RJD MP and spokesperson Manoj Jha said, "It has also been decided that former JD-U President Sharad Yadav will contest the poll on an RJD symbol and his political outfit - Loktantrik Janata Dal will be merged with the RJD after the election." This means the Opposition will not support former JNU-SU president Kanhaiya Kumar, if the CPI fields him from Begusarai.

However, the absence of top Grand Alliance (GA) leaders including Tejashwi Yadav and Jitan Ram Manjhi, in whose names media invites had been issued, along with the fact that even though the Mahagathbandhan announced its candidates for the first phase polls, it has not made official the constituency-division among the parties, raised many eyebrows .

GA candidates for the first phase are - HAM-S chief Manjhi from Gaya (reserved), his party member Upendra Prasad from neighbouring Aurangabad seat, RLSP's Bhudeo Choudhary from Jamui (reserved) and RJD's Vibha Devi (wife of rape accused MLA Rajballabh Yadav) from Nawada constituency. They also announced the candidates for the by-election to the two seats of Bihar legislative assembly - RJD's Md Firoz Hussain for Dehri and HAM-S Dhirendra Kumar Singh from Nawada.

No Sign Of Kanhaiya

There was no mention of former student leader Kanhaiya Kumar in the list. This means, the Opposition won’t support the firebrand leader if CPI fields him from Begusarai

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