Patna, Aug 30: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has proposed a seat-sharing formula for NDA allies in Bihar in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP wants to contest 20 out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, giving 12 to Nitish Kumar's JD(U), six to Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP and two to Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP. Although a formal announcement in this regard is yet to be made, the JD(U) has rejected the proposed seat-sharing deal.

"Even BJP knows it is not acceptable," a JD(U) leader was quoted as saying. He further added that both the BJP and the JD(S) should contest 17 seats each and remaining six seats would go to Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP, according to an NDTV report. "Nothing has been finalised, once it is, you will come to know," senior BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav said. Reports of an alleged rift between the JD(U) and the BJP emerged over seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

In view of its better-than-expected performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Bihar, the BJP was keen to contest from larger number of seats than its allies this time round. However, the JD(U) has been demanding that the results of the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls be considered while deciding how many seats each of the four NDA parties in the state will get to contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had contested from 30 seats in Bihar and won 22, while its allies Lok Janshakti party (LJP) won six seats and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) bagged three. The JD(U) had contested on its own but performed poorly. It had won only two seats. However, in 2015 Bihar Assembly polls, the JD(U) won 71 seats, while the BJP got 53. The BJP had claimed the party would contest all the 22 seats it had won in 2014 general elections.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 30, 2018 07:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).