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BJP-JD(U) talks on seat-sharing for Bihar polls fail

Special Correspondent

JD(U) insists on seats won by LJP candidates now with it No point in continuing talks unless BJP agrees to a formula, says JD (U) leader

NEW DELHI: : Seat-sharing talks for the Bihar Assembly elections between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (United) broke down on Thursday after the JD(U) leaders insisted that the BJP "keep its promise" of giving it the seats won in February by Lok Jan Shakti Party candidates who have since joined the JD(U).

JD (U) leader Prabhunath Singh, one of the seven members from his party who form the "committee'' set-up for the seat-sharing talks, told reporters that there was no point in continuing the talks unless the BJP agreed to a "formula."

`Sitting seats'

He said that "all seats" won by JD (U) candidates and by those who have now joined the JD (U) should be taken as "sitting" seats for the JD (U). "There can be no discussion on this."

From the BJP side a "committee' of five members, including Nand Kishore Yadav, are in the dialogue with the JD (U). Though there are a large number of seats on which there is no dispute between the old National Democratic Alliance partners, the quarrel is over the seats of independents and the LJP candidates who had emerged victorious in the February election and now joined other parties.

Mr. Prabhunath Singh said that 19 LJP MLAs and two independents had joined the JD(U) and they must be given tickets. Apparently, only two former LJP MLAs have joined the BJP.

In the first phase of Bihar elections, for which the poll process and nominations will begin on Friday with the issuing of a notification, 61 seats will be going to polls on October 18.

The BJP's central election committee meeting discussed names of possible candidates till late on Thursday night. In the first phase only one seat is reportedly in dispute between the NDA partners.

More stronger

The JD (U) has pointed out that though in the 2000 Assembly elections the BJP had contested only 84 seats, in 2005 February it contested 105 seats as the JD (U) had yielded ground accepting the BJP argument that the JD (U) had weakened with the exit of Ram Vilas Paswan. "The new ground reality is that the JD (U) has become stronger. More and more people are joining us. Large groups of Muslims have begun to move towards us," Mr. Singh said. The BJP should grasp this truth and concede seats accordingly. And under no circumstances would the JD (U) yield its "sitting" seats, and these include the erstwhile independents and the former LJP MLAs.

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BJP-JD(U) talks on seat-sharing for Bihar polls fail

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