Tejashwi Yadav breaks silence on reports of deadlock in Bihar's 'mahagathbandhan'

Amid reports of a deadlock among parties of the 'mahagathbandhan in Bihar over the seat-sharing issue, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said the alliance of opposition parties is intact and its candidates for all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be announced after Holi.

Rahul Gandhi and Tejasvi Yadav (Source: PTI)

PATNA: Amid reports of a deadlock among parties of the 'mahagathbandhan in Bihar over the seat-sharing issue, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said the alliance of opposition parties is intact and its candidates for all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be announced after Holi. "All is well in 'mahagathbandhan'. It is intact and strong and we will put up a strong fight at the hustings. All differences have been ironed out. We will announce our candidates after Holi," PTI quoted Yadav as saying at the Patna airport after arriving from Delhi. Tejashwi was camping in the national capital over the past several days negotiating the seat-sharing pact with top Congress leaders, including party chief Rahul Gandhi. The RJD, he said, would be staying away from Holi celebrations this year as a mark of respect for the jawans killed in the Pulwama attack. Sharad Yadav, whose Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) is one of the constituents of the grand-alliance, was more specific on the date of announcement of candidates. Candidates will be announced at a press meet in Patna on March 22, he told reporters in the national capital. IANS quoting its sources in the RJD and the Congress reported that the seat-sharing pact was finalised on Tuesday night after a talk between Tejashwi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. The RJD and the Congress have reached an agreement, after bargaining for days, with both deciding to compromise on the number of seats, an RJD leader said. "The Congress is likely to contest 9 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats, the RJD 18 or 19, and the remaining seats will go to smaller allies", he said. The Grand Alliance comprises old allies like the Congress and the RJD, and new entrants such as the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) and the Vikashsheel Insaan Party (VIP). Tejashwi said he and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have decided not to celebrate Holi this year in view of the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.

Elections for Bihar's 40 Lok Sabha seats will be held during all the seven phases, beginning with the first phase on April 11. As per schedule, the four constituencies which will go to polls on April 11 are Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Jamui.  Five constituencies - Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnea, Bhagalpur and Banka - will vote on April 18.

While Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura and Khagaria will witness polling on April 23, Darbhanga, Ujiarpur, Samastipur, Begusarai and Munger will go to polls on April 29. Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur will vote on May 6.

Voting will take place in eight constituencies of Valmikinagar, West Champaran, East Champaran, Sheohar, Vaishali, Gopalganj, Siwan and Maharajganj in the sixth phase on May 12. Patna Saheb, Nalanda, Patliputra, Ara, Buxar, Sasaram, Jehanbad and Karakat will vote in the seventh and final phase on May 19.

(With inputs from agencies)