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BJP's first list announcement for Bihar polls miffs allies

by IBNS 15 Sep 2015, 11:30 pm

New Delhi, Sept 16 (IBNS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday declared its first list of candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls next month, but the announcement has left its allies in the state unhappy.

In its first list, the party has named 43 candidates who will contest the poll.

The five-phase polling for the 243-member assembly begins from Oct 12 and concludes on Nov  5.

After several rounds of hectic discussions, BJP president Amit Shah had announced that his party will be fighting the polls on 160 seats, while the allies have been given 83 seats. Of the 83 seats, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) of  Upendra Kushwaha was allocated 23 seats while Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) was given 40. Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manhji's newly formed Hindustani Awaam Morcha (Secular) was given 20 seats.

But soon after, the allies expressed unhappiness.

 RLSP leaders said the BJP and its allies are still discussing seat sharing and so the announcement is against coalition spirit.

 RLSP is a party which has good influence in the Keori community.


Earlier reports said Paswan was miffed too with the seat sharing arrangement.