The BJP on Monday asserted that its alliance with JD(U) in Bihar was intact and both parties would follow the same seat sharing formula as they had in 2005 Assembly polls. But sources close to the BJP party chief, Mr Nitin Gadkari, said the party was earlier planning to ask for two more seats this time, including Muzaffarpur, from its alliance partner.
However, with the recent episode when Bihar chief minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar returned Kosi relief fund to the Gujarat government, thus severely straining the alliance, BJP decided to stick to the old seat sharing formula. Assembly elections are scheduled in the state in October-November, 2010.
“The alliance is finally on track in Bihar now. Now, any demand for more seats by BJP will only end up straining the ties and at this moment no one wants it. Right now, it will be feasible for the BJP to go with the old seat sharing formula,” said a senior party functionary. During the last Assembly elections in the state, JD(U) had contested 139 and BJP 102 Assembly seats. Both had fielded Independent candidates on the remaining two seats. there are 243 Assembly constituencies in the state. On the issue of seat sharing formula, party general secretary Mr Ananth Kumar said “the seat-sharing formula would remain the same.”
Party sources disclosed some minor changes may be made keeping in mind the new demography of some constituencies post-delimitation.
When asked if Gujarat CM Narendra Modi would campaign for BJP in Bihar, Mr Kumar said the decision lay with the party and no one else. Bihar CM had objected to advertisements depicting him holding hands with Mr Modi. This had led to speculations that JD(U) may demand that Mr Modi, BJP star campaigner, would not be sent to Bihar.
But Mr Ananth Kumar insisted that BJP would have a free hand in whom it fields to campaign for the party in Bihar. However, in constituencies where a joint campaign is launched, the campaigners would be jointly chosen by the two parties, he said. “Gadkariji had clarified this issue. The decision on which leader would go for campaigning would be taken by our party,” Mr Kumar insisted.