As LJP remains undecided, JD(U), BJP seal 50:50 seat-sharing formula in Bihar: Sources

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PATNA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda chaired a meeting over Bihar assembly election at the latter's residence in New Delhi. 

Also present at the meeting were Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, MoS MHA Nityanand Rai and BJP's in-charge for Bihar Bhupender Yadav. 

Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrives at the residence of BJP national president JP Nadda.

A meeting over #BiharElections is underway here. https://t.co/PLkRiKZAfa pic.twitter.com/KTtzkLI1Jv

— ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2020

BJP and Nitish Kumar's JD(U) have not yet announced the seat-sharing agreement for the Bihar Assembly elections. However, according to sources, they have reached a seat-sharing agreement in principle with an almost even split - days before the October-November state election. An announcement on the same is expected soon, said sources. 

According to sources, the JD(U) will contest on 124 seats in the House of 243 whereas BJP will fight on 119 seats. The Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi will be accommodated seats from the JD(U) quota; whereas BJP will give seats to LJP from its share if they remain in the alliance, sources added. 

According to sources, the JD(U) has also asked BJP to take a call on Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party. Paswan is currently admitted to a Delhi hospital where he underwent heart surgery on Sunday. 

Confusion seems to exist within NDA over seat-sharing agreements in Bihar assembly elections. While the BJP had earlier said that it will fight the elections under the leadership of JD(U) leader and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, the LJP, another NDA ally, has been demanding a larger number of seats, from what was offered by the JD(U).

On October 3, the LJP postponed a meeting that was scheduled to take place on Saturday to decide on whether to accept the BJP-led NDA offer of seats in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, owing to the ill health of Paswan senior. 

Bihar has 243 Assembly seats and elections will be held in three phases — October 28, November 3, and 7. The counting of votes will begin on November 10.