'Mahagathbandhan’ meeting in Bihar concludes, Kushwaha says parties discuss seat-sharing arrangement

Former union minister and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha said leaders of the Opposition’s Grand Alliance will take out a march towards the Bihar’s Raj Bhavan on January 10 against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his “sadak chaap” remarks on ‘Mahagathbandhan’. The opposition parties will demand an apology from Kumar for his comments. It was decided in the first meeting of the Opposition’s Grand Alliance in Bihar at the resident of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday. Kushwaha also said the parties discussed seat-sharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha elections 2019. The final announcement on the respective number of seats to be fought by each constituent will be made soon.

They also identified constituencies best suited for each alliance partner. The meeting was attended by all constituents of the 'Mahagathbandhan' that comprises the RJD, the Congress, former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP, former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM and veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadav's LJD. Tejashwi Yadav is the leader of the opposition in the state assembly.

Sources with the Grand Alliance told news agency PTI that a final agreement in this regard may be deferred till the release of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, who is serving sentences in fodder scam cases judgment on whose bail application has been reserved by the Jharkhand High Court.

Leaders of the Grand Alliance, however, have been saying that a formal announcement about the seat-sharing arrangements will be made only after January 14, when the inauspicious month of 'Kharmaas' comes to an end.

On Sunday, Jitan Ram Manjhi rubbished some reports that claimed that he might return to the NDA, as he was not getting his due in the Grand Alliance.

"This is nonsense. Only on Saturday, I was in Ranchi to meet Lalu Prasad. It is another thing that because of his poor health, I avoided getting into any detailed discussions on political matters," he told reporters.

In an alliance, all constituents have to be ready to make some sacrifices, the former chief minister said.

"We are not at all insistent on a particular number of seats in the Lok Sabha polls, and though we maintain that we are in a good position in at least 20 out of 40 in the state, we will work for the 'Mahagathbandhan's' victory even if we end up fighting not a single seat," Manjhi said.