JD(U) to wait for BJP’S offer before deciding on seats

NEW DELHI: The Janata Dal (United) is not worried over seatsharing adjustments with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar and will decide once the BJP makes an offer, the party’s general secretary KC Tyagi said on Sunday after a national executive meet authorised Nitish Kumar to take a call on various issues, including the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

The party’s meet, which was held in Delhi, took place in the backdrop of reports of strained ties between the JD(U) and BJP. While ruling out any collaboration with its older allies, the Congress and Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the JD(U) sought to establish an independent identity at the meeting by criticising actions of BJP leaders, too. Kumar said those who had the intention of marginalising his party would get marginalised.

The Bihar chief minister and BJP president Amit Shah are scheduled to meet in Patna on July 12 to likely discuss a formula for the distribution of 40 Lok Sabha seats between four partners of the National Democratic Alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a person familiar with the matter said. Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and

Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samta Party are the two other partners in the state.

A JD(U) office-bearer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Kumar was in favour of continuing with the BJP, but would not compromise on the party’s interests. “Nitish wants the BJP to make the offer. He doesn’t want to jump the gun,” he said. “But any offer has to be commensurate with the stature of Kumar and strength of the JD(U),” the leader added.