JD(U)-RJD pact paves way for secular front seat-sharing for

Hours after announcement of tie-up between JD(U) and RJD and declaration of Nitish Kumar as chief ministerial candidate, the secular alliance today reached an agreement on sharing of 24 seats of Bihar Legislative Council that would go to polls early July.
As per the understanding, JD(U) and RJD would share 10 seats each while Congress would get 3 and NCP one in the poll for Council from local bodies.
State presidents of JD(U) and Congress, Basistha Narayan Singh and Ashok Choudhary respectively, RJD Legislature party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui announced seat-sharing among partners at a press conference tonight.
JD(U) would contest one seat each in Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Begusarai, Saran, Bhagalpur, Nawada, Nalanda, Gaya, Rohtas and Patna.

RJD would field candidates in East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Gopalganj, Siwan, Hajipur, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Munger, Aurangabad and Bhojpur.
Congress would contest West Champaran, Saharsa and Purnea while NCP would have its candidate in Katihar, Singh, Choudhary and Siddiqui told reporters.

Out of the 24 seats of Legislative Council that would go to polling on July 7, JD(U) had 15 seats while RJD had three. Congress and NCP had no seat.
The seat-sharing between secular front is considered as first demonstration of anti-BJP unity among parties ahead of crucial Bihar Assembly poll in September-October this year.
The announcement came hours after the alliance between JD(U) and RJD and Samajwadi Party announced Nitish Kumar as CM nominee for Bihar.

There had been talks of bonding of JD(U) and RJD being stuck earlier due to reservation of Lalu Prasad over declaring Kumar as CM candidate and his party seeking lion's share in the Assembly poll.
The Council election is considered as semi-final of the fight between JD(U)-RJD-Congress combine against BJP and its NDA allies before Assembly election later this year.
JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh, in whose residence leaders of the four parties met, told reporters that the seat-sharing and earlier announcement of Nitish Kumar as CM candidate of the alliance was a "strong reply" to BJP.