BJP, Manjhi strike seat sharing deal

By NewsGram Staff-Writer

BJP and Bihar's former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi signed a seat sharing deal late at night on Sunday; according to the arrangement Manjhi's party would be contesting elections for 20 seats, according to reports.

As stated by a BJP leader, positive outcome is to be expected out of the aforementioned arrangement and both the parties will be working on the newly arranged action of plan.

The meeting included BJP's incharge for Bihar assembly elections and Union minister Ananth Kumar and party general secretary incharge of the state Bhupendra Yadav had with Hindustani Avam Morcha (secular) leader Manjhi at Bihar Niwas.

The seat sharing arrangement worked out at the meeting would let the party field about 20 candidates, while five others would contest on BJP's symbol, said a HAM(S) leader.

Further the saffron party's Central Election Committee will be meeting on Tuesday to decide on its candidates for the party's candidates for the election.

Manjhi and his associates held a string of meetings with BJP leaders including Kumar, Yadav and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan through the day.

The much talked of elections will begin from October 12 and conclude on November 5.

Even though the BJP has a strong Dalit backing in the form of Paswan, it wants Manjhi on its side in the high-stakes state elections to bring in the Mahadalit votes.

BJP president Amit Shah, according to sources, had cancelled his visit to the Mysore in a bid to oversee the talks on seat sharing. The maha dalit leader was initially unhappy with the 13-15 seats offered to his party as compared to 40 seats being given to Paswan's LJP.

According to sources, LJP and RLSP have agreed to the seat-sharing formula brought forth by BJP but a final announcement regarding the same is still awaited.