Seat-sharing done in a hurry: RJD leader

Nitish, Lalu and Cong. discuss strategy to make Swabhiman rally a success.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with RJD chief Lalu Prasad at a meeting in Patna on Sunday. Photo: Ranjeet Kumar

ven as the leaders of the grand alliance in Bihar — the Janata Dal (United), the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress — on Sunday met their district party leaders and workers, senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh asserted that seat-sharing was “done in a hurry and was disappointing.”

While RJD chief Lalu Prasad met his district party presidents, State JD(U) president Basistha Narayan Singh held a meeting with party leaders and workers.

Congress leaders too had a separate meeting at the party headquarters.

Later, Mr. Kumar, Mr. Prasad and State Congress chief Ashok Chaudhury met at Mr. Kumar’s residence to discuss the strategy to make the Swabhiman (self-respect) rally in Patna on Aug. 30 a success.

‘Party men disappointed’

However, at the RJD meeting, Mr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh expressed displeasure over the seat-sharing arrangement between the JD(U) and the RJD.

“There has been hurry in announcing the sharing of seats for the Assembly poll. The leaders of the alliance decided the seat-sharing but the party workers and supporters are disappointed with the equal sharing,” asserted Mr. Singh, amid loud cheers from the assembled party leaders and workers.

“Since Mr. Nitish Kumar will be the chief ministerial candidate, the RJD should have got more seats,” added the RJD leader. Earlier too, Mr. Singh had said the RJD should get not less than 140 seats.

Recently, under the seat-sharing arrangement, out of the 243 seats, both the JD(U) and the RJD distributed 100 seats for each of them, while leaving 40 seats to the Congress.

The alliance had left a mere three seats to the fourth partner, the Nationalist Congress Party. The NCP had demanded 12 seats.

Later, the Samajwadi Party, which was allotted no seats, protested the “insult and ignorance” in the seat-sharing arrangement.

Asked whether the NCP should have got more seats, Mr. Singh said “the coalition leaders should take a call on it.”

SP chief Mulayam Singh, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and all top leaders of the janata parivar are expected to participate in the Swabhiman rally.