The whispers have gained voice following reports of a tentative 20-20 formula of seat division within the NDA
Tension is simmering in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) camp in Bihar as indications suggest Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president Nitish Kumar is thinking of going it solo if the seat-sharing talks for the 2019 parliamentary election fail or the proposal is not up to the mark.
The whispers have gained voice following reports of a tentative 20-20 formula of seat division within the NDA. Sources had indicated that while the BJP was likely to keep 20 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar for itself, the allies – JD-U, LJP and RLSP would have to "adjust" in the remaining half. Of these, 12 was likely to be allotted to JD-U.
A source said the BJP was testing the waters to check on "what numbers would be acceptable for the allies" as the NDA constituents were putting pressure on the saffron party to finalise the numbers. On July 16, CM Nitish Kumar had said that the seat-sharing was likely to be finalised in three-four weeks within which, the BJP was to make a proposal. Earlier in July, the JD-U had even claimed to be the "big brother in the alliance" and that Nitish Kumar will be the face of the front in Bihar in 2019.
Though both BJP and JD-U have said that seat-sharing talks within the NDA have not been finalised yet, some JD-U leaders had made it clear that "12 was an unacceptable figure for them". JD-U leaders have maintained that they want an equal seat division between the BJP and their party, if not more. However, an equal division of "16-16 or 17-17" (keeping aside at least 6-8 seats for LJP and RLSP) will mean that five or six of BJP's sitting Member of Parliament will have to forgo their seats.
The NDA is also in suspense over Union Minister and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha "sending feelers" to the Mahagathbandhan. Some of his recent statements such as "Yadav and Koeri kheer" indicate that he may be planning to switch over to the Mahagathbandhan fold.
Even Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janashakti Party, which had six seats in 2014, is not ready to "sacrifice" any sitting member, a source said, adding, "Paswan is not speaking in the issue because any agreement has not been reached upon yet. He will take the final call only after the seat division is finalised in the NDA."
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 "File photo of CM Nitish Kumar with BJP leader and deputy CM Sushil Modi")
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