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Congress, RJD conclude seat agreement

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal have finalised the seat-sharing pact but have decided to hold back its formal announcement for strategic reasons.

The alliance, which also includes the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Nationalist Congress Party, expressed satisfaction over the conclusion of the seat-sharing talks.

Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and Bihar Pradesh Congress chief Sadanand Singh held another round of talks with RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his team.

Sources said the Congress was likely to get upwards of 40 seats. It would be much less than the 80-odd seats the party contested in the February Assembly elections. The CPI(M) was likely to get 10 seats, while the NCP about 7.

There are a few seats where the combination may end up having "friendly fights."

Sets up committee

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has announced a six-member screening committee for the Bihar Assembly polls. It includes G. Venkataswamy, Oscar Fernandes, Iqbal Singh, Sadanand Singh, former CLP leader Vijay Shankar Dubey and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, who will be the convener.

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