‘Honourable agreement’ reached with BJP on seat sharing for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, says Nitish Kumar

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Nitish Kumar on Saturday said that an “honourable agreement” had been reached with the BJP on seat sharing formula in Bihar for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, according to sources.

"Honourable agreement has been reached with the BJP on seat sharing. A formal announcement will be made later," the Bihar chief minister told party leaders during the JD-U’s state executive meeting in Patna.

Also Read | Haryana CBSE Topper Gang-Rape Case: Main accused Nishu who planned assault arrested, Army man still on run

Earlier, the JD-U had expressed unhappiness over the BJP’s first draft of seat-sharing formula. The saffron party wanted to contest on 20 of the 40 Bihar seats. It had reportedly offered 12 seats to the JD-U, six to Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP and two to Upendra Kushwaha’s party.

However, Nitish Kumar wanted equal distribution of seats between the parties. It wanted that both parties should contest on 17 seats, and the remaining six seats would go to Paswan.

Kushwaha, meanwhile, had hinted that he was on his way out of the alliance and might go with the Lalu Yadav’s RJD.

Also Read | Baba Ramdev says he can sell petrol, diesel at Rs 35 per litre if Centre.....

In 2014, the BJP and the JD-U have fought the elections separately. The BJP had won 22 seats and the NDA 31. The JDU, which broke the 17-year alliance with the BJP, could manage to win only two seats.

After the Assembly elections, Nitish Kumar joined hands with the Congress and the JDU and win the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections in 2015. He, however, returned to the BJP’s fold barely 20 months later.