NDA announces Bihar seat-sharing pact

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, here on Sunday, officially announced the seat-sharing formula for the Lok Sabha elections.

The announcement was made at a joint press conference, addressed by BJP state President Nityanand Rai, LJP state President Pashupati Kumar Paras and JD-U state President Vashishth Narain Singh, at the JD-U office.

According to the agreement, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest 17 seats each and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), led by Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, the rest of six seats.

Singh said the JD-U will contest Valmikinagar, Sitamarhi, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnea, Madhepura, Bhagalpur, Gopalganj, Banka, Munger, Nalanda, Gaya, Jehanabad, Siwan and Karakat parliamentary seats.

The BJP will field candidates in West Champaran, East Champaran, Sheohar, Madhubani, Araria, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj, Saran, Ujiyarpur, Begusarai, Sasaram, Aurangabad, Buxar, Ara, Patna Saheb and Patliputra constituencies.

The LJP will contest Vaishali, Hajipur, Jamui, Khagaria, Samastipur and Nawada seats.

The BJP has ceded to the JD-U five seats -- Valmikinagar, Gaya, Siwan, Gopalganj and Jhanjharpur -- that it won in 2014.

The BJP-led NDA won 31 of the 40 seats in the state in 2014. Of this, BJP won 22 seats, LJP 6 and the Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) 3. The RLSP has joined the Opposition Grand Alliance this time.

The JD-U, not part of the NDA then, had contested the 2014 elections on its own and could win only 2 seats -- Purnea and Nawada.

The names of NDA candidates will be announced in two-three days.

--IANS

ik/rtp/pcj