Amit Shah meets party MPs from Bihar to discuss Lok Sabha poll

The meeting holds significance as it was held in the backdrop of the party’s decision to forgo five seats in favour of its alliance partner, the JD (U).

Days after sealing the seat-sharing formula with its alliance partners in Bihar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah met party MPs from the state in New Delhi on Thursday evening to review party’s preparations in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Party leaders who attended the meeting said in addition to giving the ‘mantra’ for success, Shah asked the MPs to get feedback from people over the Lok Sabha polls, and highlight government schemes. (HT File)

The meeting holds significance as it was held in the backdrop of the party’s decision to forgo five seats in favour of its alliance partner, the JD (U). The BJP, which won 22 seats in 2014, would now contest 17 seats. It means five of the party’s MPs won’t to get tickets again.

All BJP MPs from Bihar but Shatrughan Sinha and Kirti Jha Azad attended the meeting held at union minister Radha Mohan Singh’s residence. Some senior party leaders were also present.

Party leaders who attended the meeting said in addition to giving the ‘mantra’ for success, Shah asked the MPs to get feedback from people over the Lok Sabha polls, and highlight government schemes.

In 2014, the BJP contested along with the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) and won 22 seats. The RLSP is now a part of the Congress-led ‘mahagathbandhan’. In 2019, while the BJP and the JD (U) have decided to contest 17 seats each, the LJP will fight six seats.

“It was routine meeting. Several issues, including general preparedness, and how to take the party forward and win the battle, came for discussion,” said a Rajya Sabha MP. Another Rajya Sabha MP of the party said though nothing concrete was said about LS seats, the party high command would definitely adjust the leaders who will forfeit their seats to alliance partners.

Party leaders said Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha, who had been attacking the BJP government on various issues, and Darbhanga MP Kirti Azad, who was suspended from the party, are unlikely to get tickets.

Besides these two seats, the party will have to look for new faces in Begusarai and Madhubani. Bhola Singh, the BJP MP from Begusarai, passed away while Madhubani’s Hukumdev Narayan Yadav had already announced that he would not contest the LS elections in 2019. These two seats may be given to alliance partners.