Bihar Opposition differs on seat-sharing formula
The RJD and Congress contested the 2015 assembly election in alliance with the JD (U) and the alliance had won 178 seats in the 243-member. In 2017, the JD (U) left the alliance and formed government with the BJP.
Even before the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress starts talk on seat sharing in Bihar ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, differences have emerged over the formula they should follow in seat allocation. While the RJD proposed one Lok Sabha seat for every six assembly seats contested in 2015, the Congress wants a bigger share because the Janata Dal (United), or JD (U), is not part of the alliance any more.
The RJD and Congress contested the 2015 assembly election in alliance with the JD (U) and the alliance had won 178 seats in the 243-member. In 2017, the JD (U) left the alliance and formed government with the BJP.
An RJD leader said the Congress, having contested 41 seats in the 2015 assembly polls as a constituent of the grand alliance, could at best be allocated seven Lok Sabha seats out of Bihar’s 60 to contest at the ratio of one Lok Sabha seat for six assembly seats fought. The 1:6 ratio has been proposed as each parliamentary constituency has an average six assembly segments.
However, Congress state president Madan Mohan Jha said he was not aware of any formula being mooted by the RJD, but asserted that the seat sharing deal would be done amicably. To which a senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui, member of the party’s committee on seat sharing, said all aspects would be discussed in the talks which are to begin next week.
“The Congress has a rightful claim on seven seats at the maximum as it had contested 41 assembly as a partner in GA...” said a senior RJD leader.
