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We are shocked with the allocation of seats for Bihar polls : LJP

by IBNS 15 Sep 2015, 07:51 am

Patna, Sept 15 (IBNS) Expressing displeasure over the number of seats the Lok Janshakti Party has been given by the BJP for the Bihar assembly polls, party leader Chirag Paswan has said "We are shocked by allocation of seats."

His comment came a day after  the allies of the National Democratic Alliance held a joint press conference announcing the seat sharing for the Bihar elections. , sources say that Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan is upset with the seat sharing deal.


After several rounds of hectic discussions, party president Amit Shah had announced that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be fighting the polls on 160 seats, while the allies have been given 83 seats.

Under the agreement, LJP will be fighting on 40 seats, Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) will be fighting on 23 seats and Jitan Ram Manjhi's party Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) will be contesting for 20 seats.

 
Reports were doing rounds that the LJP, which expected a higher share of seats,  was upset with Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha given "more importance." Speculations were on the rise whether this would lead to a rift in the BJP-led four party alliance that prepares for a showdown with the Janata Dal (U)-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress combine. 
 
However, denying  reports of the displeasure with Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Jitan -Manjhi getting more importance in the National Democratic Alliance,  Chirag Paswan said that there is no rift over any issue.

"Yes we were shocked with the developments that took place on Monday. Whatever formula was agreed on we were told about the number of seats that we could expect. We were taken aback by the numbers that were finally announced," he said.
 
An upcoming leader of the party, Chirag is the son of LJP supremo Ram Vilas Paswan.


 "We have adjusted to the numbers given to us. Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) leader Upendra Kushwaha and Manjhi are very close allies, they are like family to us," he said.


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