Jitan Ram Manjhi with PM Modi (File photograph)
NEW DELHI: The ruling Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar has finalised its seat-sharing for the upcoming meeting elections, after days of intense negotiations amongst allies. After earlier demanding 15 seats for his occasion, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) chief and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi struck a considerably contradictory tone following the seat-sharing announcement. Whereas he expressed satisfaction with the six seats allotted to HAM(S), he additionally steered that the NDA had undervalued his occasion and warned that such selections may have repercussions throughout the alliance.“What the high command decided, we accept, but by giving six seats, they have undervalued us, it may have repercussions in NDA,” he mentioned.“In Parliament, we were given one seat, still we were happy. Here, we have been given six seats, and we respect the decision of the leadership.”Additionally learn: Manjhi threatens to withdraw from electoral race over seat sharing tussle“We are satisfied with what we have been allotted and we have no complaints,” he added.Previous to the announcement, all eyes had been on Chirag Paswan’s LJP (RV), Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi led HAM(S). Whereas Chirag made a robust pitch for a bigger share by leveraging his occasion’s 100% strike fee in Bihar in the course of the latest Lok Sabha elections, Manjhi sought dignity and recognition, reportedly demanding at the least 15 seats to keep up HAM(S)’s earlier strike fee from the 2020 Meeting polls.The ultimate seat allocation was introduced by Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan was: BJP and Janata Dal (United) will contest on 101 seats every, whereas Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Celebration (Ram Vilas) will subject candidates on 29 seats. Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) will contest six seats every.
Congress questions ‘respect’ for allies
Congress latched onto the seat-sharing announcement criticising NDA’s ‘treatment’ of smaller allies. “What has Manjhi ji been saying over the past 15 days? His community was allocated 6 seats in the NDA. Upendra Kushwaha got 6 seats, indicating NDA assigned this many to the Kushwaha community. Does this mean the Kushwaha community is worth only 6 seats in Bihar?” Congress chief Manoj Kumar requested. Kumar additional questioned if Chirag Paswan, who reportedly sought 40 seats, was really revered with 29. Accusing the NDA of undermining key caste teams, he claimed the alliance had been “preparing to deal with” its allies somewhat than honouring them.“This was done because preparations were underway in the NDA to deal with these people… Jitan Ram Manjhi asked for respect, so did he receive it with 6 seats?” he questioned.
Weeks of negotiation
The seat-sharing announcement adopted intense parleys in New Delhi over the weekend, involving high NDA figures together with BJP president JP Nadda, Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, and Bihar leaders reminiscent of deputy CM Samrat Choudhary and state BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal.Whereas BJP has sacrificed some seats (down from 110 in 2020), it appears to have emerged because the dominant accomplice when it comes to affect, evident in the way it brokered peace amongst allies and ensured cohesion forward of the two-phase elections scheduled for November 6 and 11. Vote counting will happen on November 14.On the opposite facet of the political aisle, the INDIA bloc led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is but to finalise its seat-sharing components. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son Tejashwi Yadav, and spouse Rabri Devi have travelled to Delhi amid stories of pressure with the Congress, which is pushing to contest near 70 seats—just like its 2020 tally, when it received 19.
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