JDU mounts pressure on BJP for 2019 LS elections, demands role of "elder brother"

With less than a year to go for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the JDU seems to have mounted pressure on the BJP-led NDA over seat sharing agreement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Photo: PTI

NEW DELHI: With less than a year to go for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the JDU seems to have started mounting pressure on the BJP-led NDA over seat sharing agreement. The party, however, refrained from making any official statement over seat-sharing formula but sources said its leaders have decided that their party will play the role of an "elder brother" in the general elections in Bihar. A meeting of senior party leaders was held at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence in Patna on Sunday. According to sources, in the meeting, it was decided that the party will fight elections in Bihar on Nitish's image. Talking to ABP News, senior JDU leader KC Tyagi said his party in an important part of the NDA and Nitish Kumar is the tallest leader in the BJP-led alliance. "We are an important player in the NDA and have decided to contest Lok Sabha elections under its banner. I don't think there would be any disagreement over seat-sharing agreement but I would say that Nitish Kumar is the tallest leader in the NDA," he said. "The NDA will get the benefit of the popularity of Nitish Kumar," he added. This came days after Nitish Kumar has raised questioned the benefits of demonetisation, surprising not only his alliance partner BJP but his own party leaders. Nitish had alleged that banks did not implement demonetisation in a proper manner, and said people could not receive benefits to the desired extent owing to it. "I had supported note ban. But because of the role played by banks, people could not be benefited to the extent they should have. People deposited huge amounts in scrapped currency and the money was laundered," he said. Nitish had come out in support of the demonetisation measure, when he was in the Grand Alliance comprising the RJD and the Congress.