Seat-sharing major hurdle for both NDA, Grand Alliance as caste considerations, reluctant leaders slow decision-making

During the first week of January, leaders of both NDA and the Grand Alliance declared that seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha polls will become clear only after the festival of Makar Sankranti (14 January), which marks the beginning of spring and is considered auspicious. Almost two months later, the battle lines in Bihar are still hazy.

“All is well. Lalu_ji_ (Prasad Yadav) will take the final call on candidates and alliances,” remarked RJD MP Manoj Jha.

Meanwhile, KC Tyagi, national spokesperson of JDU, gave a new deadline on Monday. “It will be announced before Holi (21 March),” he said stressing that agreement between JDU, BJP and LJP has almost been finalised.

Caste considerations and leaders refusal to shift constituencies have bogged down both the alliances in Bihar. The Darbhanga parliamentary seat appears to create hurdles for both alliances.

In the Grand Alliance, Congress is demanding the constituency for cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad who quit BJP to join Congress, whereas, RJD wants to field Mukesh Sahani, a former NDA-member who joined the Grand Alliance in Bihar. Sahani has christened himself as the son of a Mallah, a fishermen community.

“We have pleaded to the Congress that they should shift Azad to Delhi,” remarked an RJD leader.

In the NDA camp, JDU is demanding the same seat for Nitish’s close confidant Sanjay Jha.

Darbhanga is the centre of Mithilanchal and also consists of Madhubani and Jhanjharpur parliamentary seats. BJP had won all three seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

“In Mithilanchal, the combination of Maithil Brahmins, Yadavs and Extremely Backward Caste is a winnable combination, and we field candidates, accordingly. If we give it to JDU then our party will not be able to field a Maithil Brahmin,” remarked a senior BJP leader pointing out that Nitish Mishra, son of former chief minister Jagannath Mishra was being considered for Madhubani.

Nawada parliamentary seat is another constituency, which is creating problems for the NDA. Since JD(U) is contesting from the Munger seat, which was won over by LJP in 2014, the LJP is demanding Nawada parliamentary seat, which is currently represented by BJP hardliner face and Union minister Giriraj Singh. LJP is insisting that Giriraj be shifted to the Begusarai parliamentary seat. Giriraj, however, is reluctant. The angry Union minister even refused to come to Gandhi Maidan on 3 March to participate in the BJP’s Sankalp Rally despite being in Patna.

BJP is reportedly also in a dilemma over its Dalit MPs. JD(U) has been asking for Gopalganj reserved seat where the present BJP MP Janak Chamar won by a margin of over 3 lakh. It is also pondering over replacing its current Gaya MP Hari Manjhi and Sasaram MP Chhedi Paswan.

“We have to consider replacement without facing a backlash from the Dalits,” remarked the senior BJP leader.

Meanwhile, the BJP is asking LJP to forgo the Khagaria seat so that the saffron party can field a former JD(U) minister Samrath Choudhary. The LJP has agreed but is asking for another Lok Sabha seat instead. The BJP, therefore, is hard-pressed to find an alternative seat.

RJD does not have a candidate for Patna Saheb. It is waiting for sitting MP Shatrughan Sinha to decide if he wants to contest on a Congress or RJD ticket. The BJP, which considers this seat as a citadel, faces the task to chose between multiple candidates including Union minister Ravishankar Prasad and RK Sinha.

Interestingly, the grand alliance is yet to decide the number of seats each partner is to contest with Congress stressing that 15 seats each should go to RJD and Congress and the rest should be divided among the allies. The grand alliance is expected to take a final call by 13 March in Delhi where leaders of all alliance partners are to sit and thrash out the differences.