Patna: The stalemate over seat-sharing within the NDA for the Bihar assembly election seems to be easing with union minister of state for home and senior BJP leader Nityanand Rai on Thursday holding a meeting with LJP (RV) chief Chirag Paswan.
Rai visited union minister Chirag’s residence in Delhi twice as BJP wanted to clear the air as soon as possible. Rai couldn't meet Chirag when he visited his residence for the first time as he returned after meeting his mother. However, Rai visited Chirag`s house again and held the crucial meeting with him. After the meeting, both leaders interacted with the media as Rai`s smile dropped ample hints that he succeeded in his mission and was able to end the deadlock over seat shearing and was also able to 'satisfy' Chirag.
Rai commented, “Smile on my face says it all” as Chirag, standing nearby, was also smiling. Rai said, “Everything is positive. Chirag will tell everything himself when the time comes.” After meeting Chirag, he also called on Bihar BJP election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan at his residence, apparently to brief him about the outcome of the meeting.
Sources claimed that there was no longer any problem regarding seat-sharing within the NDA. It is likely that NDA’s all constituents will jointly release the first list of candidates. The NDA's first list is expected on October 13.
Meanwhile, the BJP has completed the state-level process for selecting its candidates. A meeting of the BJP's Bihar core group is expected to be held in New Delhi on October 11 while the party’s central election committee is expected to meet next day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, and other senior leaders are expected to attend the meeting.
This time, the JD (U) has entrusted the responsibility of holding talks with other allies — Chirag's LJP (RV), Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM, and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLM.
Earlier in the day, LJP (RV) held an ‘emergency’ meeting in Patna, authorising Chirag to take all decisions related to the NDA seat sharing for Bihar polls.
State LJP (RV) president Raju Tiwari said that all senior party leaders were present in the meeting , unanimously giving the entire responsibility to Chirag Paswan to take the final call on the matter.
