JD(U) chief Kishor demands ‘major share’ of seats in 2020 Bihar polls

PATNA: Janata Dal (United) national president Prashant Kishor on Sunday opened a new front by claiming that the party should get ‘major’ share of seats in the 2020 assembly polls. A miffed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said decision on seat sharing was a prerogative of the NDA’s top leadership.

While talking to a TV channel, Kishor said that “seat-sharing should be done in 1:1.4 ratio or 2010 should become the basis of seats division instead of the 50% which was the understanding so far between the state’s ruling allies.”

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar comprises of BJP, JD (U) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) .

The JD (U) and the BJP had contested on 17 seats each during the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year, leaving six for the LJP. While BJP and the LJP won on all seats, the JD (U) won on 16.

Ever since the formula of 50: 50 worked in Lok Sabha polls, it was widely believed that the NDA partners would follow the same formula in the assembly polls.

Kishor’s claim on larger seat share stems after the recent rebellion of Shiv Sena against the BJP in Maharashtra after assembly polls in November.

“This, coupled with BJP’s poor performance in Jharkhand polls, is going to prompt the JD (U) to stake for larger share,” said DM Diwakar, political analyst at AN Sinha Institute for Social Studies.

“NDA has come a long way since 2005 to take Bihar on path of development.

The NDA government is comfortably placed in Bihar till 2025. NDA is sure to sweep 2020 Bihar polls defeating Grand Alliance...All the decisions related to election 2020 is a matter of discussion between our top leadership,” said BJP’s Bihar spokesperson Nikhil Anand.