LJP, RLSP rebuff rumours of discontent among NDA in Bihar

Scotching rumours of discontent over seat sharing in Bihar, NDA allies, the LJP and the RLSP Sunday insisted that their only priority was to ensure another term for Narendra Modi as the country's prime minister.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (United), another ally of the NDA, had Friday declared that they will contest an equal number of seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.

Hours later, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha met opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, triggering speculation of discontent within NDA grouping in Bihar.

It was reported that both the Lok Janshakti Party and the RLSP were keeping their options open.

LJP parliamentary board chairman Chirag Paswan on Friday said that there was no reason to leave the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the moment due to the "positive talks" that were currently underway.

"I don't think that we should think of any other alternate alliance," said Paswan who is a Lok Sabha member from Jamui in Bihar.

He also welcomed the decision that the BJP and the JD(U) would contest equal number of seats in Bihar.

However, Paswan reiterated LJP's earlier demand of not settling for less than seven Lok Sabha seats in Bihar-- the same as in the 2014 general elections.

"But when you are in an alliance, you have to keep in mind its limitations. At the moment, our priority is to strengthen the alliance and make Narendra Modi the prime minister again after 2019 elections," he said.

The RLSP too asserted that there was "neither any fight nor any contradiction" within the NDA over seats.

"We are working at the grassroot level to make Narendra Modi the prime minister again in the 2019 general elections," RLSP national vice-president and chief spokesman Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha said.

"There is no fight. We all are united. We will win all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state," he said.