Oppn Alliance Arrives At Seat Sharing Formula In Bihar, RJD Likely To Get 26 Seats, Congress 9

Lok Sabha Elections: The opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc on Thursday reached a consensus on seat sharing in Bihar for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal is likely to contest on 26 seats while the Congress will feild its candidates on nine seats, sources told ABP News. The left parties are expected to get five seats in 40-seat Bihar. The RJD is likely to get the Purnia Lok Sabha seat, which was expected to be contested by Congress candidate Pappy Yadav, who recently merged his party JJP with the grand old party.

Meanwhile, three candidates each of the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc on Thursday filed their nomination papers in Bihar for the seats going to polls in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

According to news agency PTI, former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi (Gaya), Vivek Thakur (Nawada) and Arun Bharti (Jamui) filed their nomination papers in the presence of senior leaders of the BJP-led coalition. Nomination papers were also filed by Abhay Kushwaha (Aurangabad), Archana Ravidas (Jamui) and Kumar Sarvajeet (Gaya), all candidates of the RJD, which is a part of the I.N.D.I.A bloc.

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On Wednesday, Bihar MLA Bima Bharti, who joined the RJD only last week, announced that she has got the party ticket from Purnia seat and would file her nomination papers next week. Bharti, who was formerly with JD(U), also said she expected “blessings of my guardian” Pappu Yadav has been adamant on contesting from Purnia. 

Bharti said “Pappu Yadav is my senior and my guardian. His party is an RJD ally and I hope he will bless me and even campaign in my favour,” as quoted by PTI. Addressing a press conference in Purnia, Bharti, whose photos receiving the party symbol from RJD president Lalu Prasad went viral on social media, said “I will be filing my nomination papers on April 3”. Purnia goes to polls in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls for which filing of nomination papers will commence on Thursday.

Upon being asked when exactly did she get the RJD ticket from Prasad, who has been away in Delhi since last weekend, the former Bihar minister evaded a direct reply. She said, “As soon as I took the membership of RJD, the party supremo, our leader Tejashwi Yadav and Rajmata Rabri Devi made clear that their blessings were with me”. Bharti had joined RJD on March 23, within hours of quitting the JD(U).

When Yadav was approached for his comments, the former “baahubali” said with an air of dejection “I have said it before and shall say it again. There is no power on earth which can stop me from contesting the Purnia seat this time”. He added, cryptically, “It is for the Congress leadership to decide. I am without any fetters (hum na teen mein hain na terah mein)”. Notably, the RJD has given away tickets to candidates for many seats, a number of these being eyed by the Congress.