Bihar: Tejashwi Yadav meets Upendra Kushwaha, invites him to join grand alliance; latter says 'just co-incidence'

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav met RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha in the circuit house of Bihar’s Alwar and the two leaders had a long discussion behind closed doors. However, Kushwaha latter termed the meeting as "just a coincidence."

Image tweeted by @yadavtejashwi

New Delhi: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav met NDA ally and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party leader Upendra Kushwaha on Friday, and invited him to join the grand alliance, as Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Amit Shah announced the seat-sharing formula for NDA in the state ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Kushwaha, however, termed the meeting as merely a 'coincidence'. Tejashwi met Kushwaha in the circuit house of Bihar’s Alwar and the two leaders had a long discussion behind closed doors, sources said. Yadav also shared the images of their meeting from his official Twitter handle. Though Yadav refused to reveal in front of media, the topic of conversation between the two leaders, sources revealed that he extended an invitation to Kushwaha to join the grand alliance. He slammed the BJP and JDU for sidelining the other allies of NDA in the seat-share tally. He alleged that the seat-sharing formula of BJP and JDU is an insult to the parties of Ram Vilas Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha, sources revealed. Yadav said that the meeting was positive and more details about the conversation will be revealed in due time. Here is Tejashwi's tweet:

Met Union Minister and RLSP Chief Sh. @UpendraRLSP Ji at Arwal Circuit guest house. pic.twitter.com/qQm8fAHAmp

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) October 26, 2018

I had a scheduled event in Arwal & met him (Upendra Kushwaha) at the circuit house. Meetings are always positive. 'What conversation happened with whom, everything will be revealed in due time' (on being asked if he called Chirag Paswan): Tejashwi Yadav pic.twitter.com/NsNC7VvIj1

— ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2018

While LJP leader Chirag Paswan seemed contented with his share, speculations about Kushwaha’s probable exit from NDA started doing rounds. Recently on many occasions, RLSP had expressed its dissatisfaction over the seat-sharing arrangement in the alliance. However, whisking aside the speculations, Kushwaha told news agency ANI, that nothing is final on seat sharing as of now, adding that meeting with Tejashwi Yadav was just a "coincidence".

Nothing is final on seat sharing. Amit Shah ji also said that we will finalise it in a few days. Meeting with Tejashwi Yadav was just a coincidence: Union Minister and RLSP Chief Upendra Kushwaha on his meeting with RJD Leader Tejashwi Yadav at Arwal Circuit guest house. #Bihar pic.twitter.com/mRt5KlwILs

— ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2018

Earlier in the day while interacting with media, Amit Shah had said: “It has been decided that BJP & JDU will fight on equal number of seats for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 in Bihar.” He had further said: “other allies will also get a respectable seat share”, leaving the announcement of the numbers for later. However, as per sources, Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party will be given only two seats and Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party will be given four seats, while BJP and JDU will enjoy a share of 17 seats each, based on the 50-50 seat-sharing formula given by JDU and agreed by BJP. After Shah and Kumar’s presser, Yadav had tweeted that after facing the ground reality of RJD’s growing popularity and the recent surveys Nitish and BJP have started panicking and this is their attempt to stop the collapse of their vote banks, but, even if they rope in Trump, people of Bihar will bring them to task'. Here is his tweet:

राजद गठबंधन के बढ़ते जनाधार,ज़मीनी हक़ीक़त और सर्वे का सामना करने के बाद नीतीश जी और बीजेपी के हाथ-पैर फ़ुल गए इसलिए आनन-फ़ानन में यह वोट कटाव रोकने का प्रयास है।

बिहार क्रांति व बदलाव की धरती है। ये चाहे ट्रम्प को भी मिला लें, बिहार की न्यायप्रिय जनता इनको कड़ा सबक़ सिखायेगी। — Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) October 26, 2018