JDU executive meet: Nitish to decide over assembly poll affairs; to remain with NDA

Ahead of JDu's key meet, the participating leaders reiterated that JDU and BJP will be contesting the upcoming assembly and parliamentary elections as an alliance and that there are no differences between the two allies.

Sushil Modi and Nitish Kumar File image/ Courtesy: AP

New Delhi: Against all the speculations of a possible split between JDU and NDA in Bihar, it has emerged in JDU's national executive meeting that it seeks contesting elections as an alliance, even as seat-sharing remains an unresolved issue between the parties.   National executive authorised Nitish Kumar to take decisions on the party’s behalf regarding the assembly elections going to be organised in the four states. The JDU leaders who took part in the meeting said that JDU and BJP will be contesting the upcoming assembly and parliamentary elections as an alliance and that there is no difference between the allies. Kumar held deliberations with his party's office-bearers today on the eve of the national executive meeting and it was decided that he would hold a meeting with BJP president Amit Shah on July 12 regarding seat-sharing issue. There has been speculation that the Kumar-led party may explore revival of its alliance with the RJD and the Congress, a suggestion rejected JD(U) leaders, but which has gained ground due to its public differences with the BJP. These speculations have however been refuted by the party leaders ahead of the key-meet. Several leaders of the Bihar-based party have demanded its preeminent position in the BJP-led NDA restored, a status it enjoyed in the alliance until 2013 when Kumar broke ties with the saffron party. With the BJP gaining strength in the state following its sweep in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it is unlikely to give the JD(U) a bigger status and political watchers believe that Kumar has been jockeying for fighting about 15 seats in 2019. The BJP had won 22 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 and its allies, Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP and Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP had six and three respectively. The JD(U) had won only two seats. JD(U) leaders have argued that their party had performed much better than the BJP in 2015 assembly polls and its results should be considered in the allotment of seats for the Lok Sabha election. Kumar has refrained from commenting on the issue in public and so has the top BJP brass. (with inputs from PTI)