Negotiations over seat sharing begins between RJD, LJP

With Assembly election in Bihar round the corner, hard bargaining over seat sharing between allies RJD and LJP has begun, even as the Lalu Prasad led party has asked the latter to be "reasonable" in its demands.

With Assembly election in Bihar round the corner, hard bargaining over seat sharing between allies RJD and LJP has begun, even as the Lalu Prasad led party has asked the latter to be "reasonable" in its demands.

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Prasad on Friday chaired a meeting of RJD's Core Committee in the evening to finalise the party's poll strategy.

RJD sources said they were in favour of continuing the alliance with Paswan's party but the demand for seats from LJP should be "reasonable".

Both the parties had on Thursday ruled out the possibility of their falling apart and termed as "rumour" the reports of LJP's merger with Congress.

Congress has also dismissed suggestions of a possible tie-up with either of the two parties for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections and said it will go it alone.

"We are going it alone. We are preparing to contest all the 243 seats in the state," AICC General Secretary in-charge of the state Mukul Wasnik said on Friday.

"Koi khichri nahin pak rahi hai (there is no such thing)... there is no such talk. LJP-RJD talks are in the advanced stage for Bihar polls," Paswan had said on Thursdsay.

Meanwhile, sources in both the parties admitted that there are certain differences over the number of seats to be contested by each party.