Jitan Ram Manjhi says he's 'not upset' with BJP over seat-sharing arrangement for Bihar polls

New Delhi: As negotiations among NDA partners continues for Bihar polls, former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday played down differences with the BJP over the number of seats offered to him, saying he was “not upset”. [caption id=“attachment_2432152” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi. PTI[/caption] Sources in Manjhi-led Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) claimed the party was on Sunday offered more number of seats than what was on the platter on Saturday and appeared hopeful of a positive outcome as senior BJP functionaries including Union Minister Ananth Kumar, who is party’s in-charge for Bihar polls, met him in New Delhi. Intensifying the efforts to placate Manjhi, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhupendra Yadav also met Manjhi to bring him on board on the seat sharing formulae after BJP resolved the issue with two other allies-Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP and Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP. With Manjhi sticking to his demand for more seats on Saturday, finalisation of a seat-sharing arrangements by BJP with its allies for the assembly polls in the state had eluded even after hectic consultations. According to sources, Manjhi had on Saturday met BJP President Amit Shah at the latter’s residence twice and held seat-sharing talks. Manjhi was learnt to have expressed unhappiness over the 15-odd seats offered to HAM on Saturday. HAM was offered around 15 seats and the five outgoing MLAs owing allegiance to him have been asked to contest on BJP tickets. While BJP plans to contest on around 160 seats out of a total of 243 seats, RLSP is being offered 25 seats while Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party around 40, it is learnt. After Manjhi’s disapproval over seats offered to him, BJP Bihar core group had held its meeting late Saturday evening. Taking potshots at the NDA over the seat sharing wrangling, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said when there is alliance “minus any principal and for opportunism”, such things happen." “This is the beginning of the contradiction. Let us see what is in store next. Such alliances based on personal ambition and lust for power do not survive. “When you go for such alliances, these contradictions come out, which are the beginning of an end. People will give a befitting reply to them,” Singhvi said. Sources said while BJP and LJP have finalised their seat-sharing arrangements, Manjhi is demanding more seats. A HAM spokesman said they would not accept a single seat less than that offered to LJP. “We would not take seats less in number than that given to LJP,” the spokesman said, adding that they will wait till tomorrow for BJP to offer a “respectable” number of seats to HAM. “We will have to reconsider alliance with BJP if the party is not given respectable number of seats,” the spokesman Danish Rizwan said. Union Minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan had earlier met Amit Shah along with his son Chirag Paswan and authorised Shah to declare the seat-sharing arrangement. Sources close to him said the deal with his outfit has been finalised and there is no confusion over it. Paswan, who was in Bihar, arrived in the national capital late in the evening for declaration of seats, which was however held back. Union Minister and party’s election-in-charge in Bihar Ananth Kumar earlier said everything has been finalised and the coalition would declare the seats soon. “The talks were successful. We will fight together,” he said. BJP has not declared its chief ministerial candidate and the alliance is contesting the polls with development as its main issue and is contesting under Narendra Modi’s face. PTI