Cracks in BJP-JDU alliance widens over seat sharing in Bihar ahead of 2019 elections

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) alliance in Bihar has developed more cracks over the issue of seat sharing in 2019 general elections. In the latest development, the JD-U on Monday made it clear to the BJP that it can contest elections on all 40 seats in Bihar but for that, the saffron party will have to exit alliance with the Nitish Kumar.

JDU leader Sanjay Singh reiterated that there was a difference between the 2014 and 2019 and the saffron party will not be able to repeat its previous performance in Bihar without Nitish Kumar.

“There is a lot of difference between 2014 & 2019. BJP knows without Nitish ji it will not be able to win. If BJP does not need allies they are free to fight on all 40 seats in Bihar,” ANI quoted JD-U leader Sanjay Singh as saying.

The JDU leader also advised the BJP to keep under control its leaders speaking unnecessarily in the media.

“State BJP leaders who want to make headlines should be kept under control,” Singh said in an apparent reference to state BJP general secretary Rajendra Singh.

Also Read | The inevitable fall of the ‘unnatural’ BJP-PDP alliance in Kashmir

Recently, Rajendra had said that the BJP will contest elections on all the 22 Lok Sabha seats it won in 2014 general elections. Currently, BJP has 22 sitting MPs in the lower house from Bihar.

The JD-U, which returned to the NDA fold after ditching the “Mahagathbandhan” with the Congress and the RJD last year, is demanding 25 of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

“There had been a seat-sharing formula between the JD-U and BJP in the past. We used to contest on 25 seats and the BJP on rest 15. NDA’s face is PM Modi but in Bihar, it’s Nitish Kumar. There should be no confusion,” JD-U spokesman Ajay Alok had said earlier this month.