Nitish plans grand alliance against BJP in Bihar

Meets Lalu over issue of seat-sharing

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar plans a grand alliance against the BJP in Bihar, which is going to polls later this year. The alliance will include the Congress and the Left.

He met Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad recently to discuss his plans and the contentious issue of seat-sharing. 

“It was one-to-one meeting. It was the first meeting in which seat- sharing was discussed. The talks were encouraging but it would require few more meetings to reach the final stage,” a senior Janata Dal (United) JDU leader told Deccan Herald.
 The leader said that they would be discussing individual seats soon.  
  
 Kumar arrived in Delhi on Tuesday afternoon and met JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav to discuss issues, including seat-sharing between the RJD and the JD(U) and proposed alliance with the Congress and the Left parties.

Party leaders say that even if the Janata Parivar parties would cease to exist as separate parties, there would be different groups in the new party that would come into existence after the merger.

Accommodating demands of different groups would be the main task before us, said a JDU leader. 

Nitish is trying to forge a grand alliance against the Narendra Modi-led BJP. The grand alliance will include the Congress and the Left parties.

“The Bihar chief minister is ready to accommodate the Congress and the Left. Among the Left parties, the CPI is better placed and it would be accommodated accordingly.

If the CPM wishes to come, we welcome it,” said a senior JDU leader.
The sources say that the major hurdle in moving towards a big alliance is exaggerated demands of RJD chief Lalu Prasad. He has been putting forward the formula that the performance in the previous Lok Sabha elections should be basis of seat sharing.

 “If this is accepted 65 per cent of the seats will go to the RJD and very few seats will be available for the Congress and the Left. 

The JD(U) is saying that the RJD and the JD(U) should distribute 80 per cent of seats, 40 per cent each, among themselves, and 20 per cent should be left for other parties.

“Everything would depend on the outcome of seat-sharing talks between Lalu and Niitish,” said a party leader.
DH News Service