From left: Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Tejashwi Yadav.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Suspense over seat sharing arrangements in I.N.D.I.A. bloc continued with parties now hoping to announce the final deal on Wednesday morning, as the deadline for filing nominations for the first phase of Bihar Assembly election is fast approaching.
RJD top leader Tejashwi Yadav returned to Patna without meeting Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who had gone to Chandigarh, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday evening chaired a meeting of party's Central Election Committee to decide on party's candidates.
Asked whether the situation is under control in the alliance, Kharge told reporters after the nearly two-hour-long CEC meeting, “everything is fine”. CEC member PL Punia said “more”, when asked whether at least 40 seats were discussed.
Congress spokesperson Abhay Dubey said in Patna that the seat-sharing arrangement might be announced by Wednesday morning. He said they are discussing the seats "very carefully" while pointing out the trouble in NDA.
When asked about the delay in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc on finalising seat sharing arrangement, leaders said the real trouble is in NDA where MLAs are staging protest outside Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence and friction in BJP.
Amid the delay, RJD president Lalu Prasad on Monday night gave away party tickets to some candidates, but stopped it after Tejashwi early on Tuesday told him that they were yet to announce a seat sharing formula and it could create friction in the alliance.
CPI(ML)L is also learnt to have given B-Forms, providing party symbols, to candidates in seats that were promised to them.
Among the constituencies on which RJD and Congress adamant are Kahalgaon, Viashali and Narkatiaganj and both parties are unwilling to concede.