Shah to reach out to Nitish to work out seat-sharing knots

BJP president Amit Shah is reaching out to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar amid reports that the Janata Dal (United) leader is unhappy over the neglect of NDA partners by the BJP. The meeting between the two will take place in Patna on July 12. 

Shah-Nitish meeting is significant against the backdrop of the acrimony over Lok Sabha seat-sharing talks between the BJP and the JD(U). The JD(U) is demanding 25 Lok Sabha seats citing its performance in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls when it won 71 seats, while the BJP secured 53 seats. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Lalu Prasad had then won 80 seats in the Assembly.

While the JD(U) is referring to Assembly poll results as the index of its popularity, the BJP has sought to choose 2014 Lok Sabha poll results as the reference point for distributing of seats in 2019 LS polls. In 2014, the JD(U) had won only two LS seats.

According to sources, despite JD(U)’s discordant notes, a mutually satisfying agreement could be worked out with Nitish-led outfit.

During his visit to Bihar on July 12, Shah will also meet leaders of other NDA allies, the LJP and the RLSP, to send out a strong message that “all is well in the Bihar NDA”.

Shah had recently met Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray in Maharashtra and SAD’s Prakash Singh Badal in Punjab.

The BJP head may also hold a meeting with party MPs, MLAs and MLCs to take stock of the party’s preparations for the 2019 election. BJP’s national general secretary and incharge of Bihar affairs Bhupender Yadav and party’s Union Ministers from Bihar will also attend the meeting.