JP Nadda meets CM Nitish Kumar, discuss seat-sharing for Bihar polls, feud with Chirag Paswan

New Delhi: With a month or two to go for Bihar assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Jagat Prakash Nadda met Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday to discuss seat-sharing among the two allies of NDA. The BJP has already made it clear that Bihar polls will be fought under the leadership of Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar.

JP Nadda met Nitish Kumar at his residence and discussed seat-sharing for the upcoming assembly polls in the state, reports said.

Nadda was accompanied by Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, national general secretary and state in-charge Bhupendra Yadav and state president Sanjay Jaiswal.

During the talks, the two allies also discussed the belligerent stance of Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the latest induction of Jitan Ram Manjhi in the NDA fold. The BJP leadership is understood to have assured Nitish Kumar that it will talk to Chirag Paswan and will help iron out the difference as the latter has been very vocal and critical of the Bihar CM lately.

Chirag Paswan and Manjhi both hold sway over Dalit votes in the state and with both in the same NDA coalition, the two fear losing out on their vote bank. Paswan’s LJP has much to worry out, so the dilly-dallying by the party ahead of Bihar polls, say political experts.

RJD-Congress led Mahagathbandhan has already extended an olive branch to the LJP asking Chirag to not bear the ‘insult’ in NDA.

Bihar Assembly elections are due in October-November for the 243-member assembly. The dates are yet to be announced by the Election Commission but it has to be done before November end as the current Assembly expires November 29.