National   

BJP and JD(U) leaders discuss coordination among NDA allies

NEW DELHI: The big four of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (United) met here on Sunday to resolve differences that had sharpened after the failure of the two parties to share seats in the Karnataka Assembly election.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani, BJP president Rajnath Singh, JD (U) president Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met for nearly two hours at Mr. Advani’s residence to discuss issues threadbare.

Although the two parties are also facing some problems in Bihar, it is learnt that the BJP’s problems with dissidence in the State did not figure as it was an internal matter of the party.

The leaders discussed the happenings in the run-up to the Karnataka election. Despite announcements by senior BJP leaders, including Mr. Singh, that there would be an alliance, the BJP delayed holding seat-sharing talks till after it had declared its first list of candidates.

The BJP has been pleading that it could do little as the JD (U)’s electoral base in the State had eroded away and many of its leaders had drifted into other parties, including the BJP.

Senior leaders from both parties disclosed that the talks centred around the need to develop a strong understanding between all National Democratic Alliance partners ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

There was some exchange of views on the nature of seat-sharing for the general election in relation to seats in Bihar. Each party was trying to probe the other to find out whether the old formula, on the basis of which the 2004 election was fought, would hold good or seat-sharing would have to be discussed afresh.

The JD (U) party leaders have been pointing out that what holds good for the BJP in Karnataka must also hold good for the JD (U) in Bihar. If the BJP’s strength on the ground had grown in Karnataka, it had declined in Bihar and that reality must be reflected in seat-sharing for the 2009 election.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Multi-pronged strategy comes in handy for BJP
Public hearing on NREGA today
BJP and JD(U) leaders discuss coordination among NDA allies
Srinagar rocks to Pakistani band Junoon’s music
CPI(M) blames Raje government for police firing
Trouble breaks out in Singur
Rail services in North Cachar hill district set to resume
People-to-people contact must be strengthened, say SAARC leaders
Its own master
One killed in police firing
Not all defectors were successful in polls
Lumding-Silchar gauge conversion project workers seek security
Gogoi: we will provide one lakh government jobs
Overhaul of DRDO likely
Secular forces should take corrective steps: Pawar

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu