Lok Sabha elections 2019 | Why RJD seat-share formula could upset allies of ‘mahagathbandhan’

The RJD may contest on 18-20 seats while the Congress may contest on 10-12 seats in Bihar in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, according to News Nation sources.

Also, Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP has been reportedly offered to contest on three seats while Mukesh Sahani’s VIP, Sharad Yadav’s LJD and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM have been offered one seat each.

The CPM and the SP-BSP alliance have been offered two seats each, the sources revealed further.

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Further, the RJD is believed to have offered VIP, LJD and HAM to field one candidate each on the former’s election symbol.

The reported formula is likely to upset the allies who have been demanding a respectable seat share in the state.

This comes a day ahead of grand alliance’s meeting in Delhi to finalise the seat sharing formula for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Responding to reports that only one or two seats would be offered to HAM, Manjhi warned that his party will not contest if it was not given a respectable number of seats.

His demands have led to problems for both the major players -- RJD and Congress.

Of the total 40 seats, the RLSP, which recently moved out of the NDA and joined hands with the grand alliance, wants to contest at least from five while VIP has said it wants three seats.

The RJD wants a 'lion's share' of 20 seats and the Congress is eyeing on more than 10 seats.

Manjhi had also got offers from the BJP to rejoin the NDA.

In 2014, RJD won only four seats and the Congress two. The NCP won one seat. The JD-U, which contested separately, also won only two seats. The BJP-led NDA won 31 seats, with the BJP's tally being 22.  

Meanwhile, a senior Congress leader asserted his party was not dependent on allies in the state, drawing sharp reactions from RJD, which questioned the national party's commitment to defeating BJP in the Lok Sabha election.

Congress Legislature Party leader Sadanand Singh, also a member of the recently constituted state election committee, said, "The party has emerged stronger under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. If seat-sharing does not work out, there will be no problem. Ham kisi ke bhi mohtaj nahin hain (we are not dependent on anybody)."