LJP won't accept 'dishonourable' seat sharing arrangement, BJP will have to adjust more: Paswan

The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), a constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, on Wednesday said it will not accept any "dishonourable" seat sharing arrangement in Bihar for Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at the LJP's 19th Founday Day function here, Parliamentary Board chairman of the party Chirag Paswan said that with the JD(U) joining the alliance this time, the BJP being the biggest partner will have to make more adjustments for its allies.

He said that the seat sharing formula for Bihar will be out soon and rejected conjectures that LJP may be allotted less seats in Bihar as compared to 2014.

"The BJP president had talked of honourable agreement. I will not accept any number(of seats) that is dishonourable for Lok Janshakti Party," Paswan told reporters.

Currently, the LJP has six MPs from Bihar including party president Ram Vilas Paswan who serves as a minister in the Modi Government. The party was allotted seven seats out of 40 in Bihar by the NDA.

"The formula of seat sharing in Bihar will be out soon. The BJP being the largest partner of the NDA will have to make more adjustments for its partners," he said.

On sulking RLSP chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha's remarks over seat sharing in Bihar, Paswan said he failed to understand his resentment.

"I fail to understand Kushwaha's resentment. He brought the seat sharing discussions in public domain which is wrong.

"He is trying to ride two boats by holding talks with opposition leaders while being in the NDA. I just hope he decides to fight 2019 polls as NDA constituent," he said.

LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan said his son Chirag Paswan is representing the party in the talks over seat sharing. "All his decisions are to be considered as decisions made by the LJP president," he said.

Ram Vilas Paswan, who became an MLA in 1969, will complete 50 years in politics in 2019.

Addressing party workers and leaders, the minister said that he has always followed Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Ram Manohar Lohia who talked of community not caste.

Paswan said he felt sad that the unity among dalits and backwards was not maintained after the Mandal Commission was implemented.

The father-son duo asserted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the NDA will emerge victorious in 2019 with even bigger margin than in 2014 polls.