Grand Alliance partners in Bihar allocate all 40 seats; RJD gets 20

Jitendra K Shrivastava
Tribune News Service
Patna, March 29

After much deliberation, alliance partners of ‘mahagathbandhan’ (Grand Alliance) in Bihar on Friday allocated all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

As per the seat-sharing formula, the RJD has got 20 seats, out of which it is giving up one for CPI(ML), the Congress has nine, followed by five for Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP and three each for Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM and Mukesh Sahni’s VIP.

The alliance partners jointly announced seat allocation and names of candidates for 31 constituencies where elections are scheduled in three to seven phases from April 23 to May 19.

“No alliance partner would field its candidate in Arrah as mahagathbandhan is to extend its support to CPI(ML). The RJD would also declare its candidate from Sheohar in two-three days”, said former deputy chief minister of Bihar and RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.

After Sheohar fell in RJD quota, Congress leader Lovely Anand has threatened to contest here as an Independent candidate.

Sheohar Lok Sabha seat is Rajput-dominated constituency and Lovely Anand is believed to be a strong candidate.

Senior Congress leaders were found to be absent in the press meet.

RJD stalwart and former Bihar minister Abdul Badi Siddqui would challenge BJP nominee Gopal Ji Thakur at prestigious Darbhanga Lok Sabha seat, key constituency of Mithlanchal.

The suspense over sitting MP from Darbhanga and cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad is to be continued as the Congress has failed to announce his candidature from anywhere so far.

Azad is expected to be fielded from Valmiki Nagar whose candidate was yet to be announced by the Congress.

Former Bihar minister Chandrika Rai, who was father-in-law of Lalu’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, would contest Saran Lok Sabha seat as RJD nominee and challenge BJP’s Rajiv Pratap Ruddy.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker and Congress nominee Meira Kumar would again contest from Sasaram constituency.

From Patliputra Lok Sabha seat of Patna, RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s elder daughter Misa Bharti would be in fray challenging Union Minister and BJP nominee Ram Kripal Yadav, who was once loyal to Lalu Prasad.