Bihar assembly election 2020: BJP-JD(U) reach seat-sharing deal, major announcement on Tuesday

Ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly election 2020, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (United) on Monday reached the seat-sharing deal. The official announcement on the coalition, seats and candidates will be made on Tuesday in Bihar's capital Patna, according to sources.

The JD(U) will contest on 122 seats while the BJP will fight the election on the remaining 121 seats. The JD(U) with its give five of its seats to Jitan Ram Majhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) and BJP with share and give seats to the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) of Mukesh Nishad.

Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) of former Bollywood set designer Mukesh Sahni, who wields some influence on fellow 'Mallah' caste men in some pockets, has deserted the grand alliance.

After walking out of the NDA in Bihar, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Chirag Paswan on Monday targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and appealed to people against voting for Kumar's JD(U). Chirag Paswan claimed that an alliance of his party and the BJP will come to power in the state after the Assembly polls.

In an open letter, Chirag Paswan told the voters of Bihar that a vote for the Janata Dal (United) will force the migration of their children tomorrow as he sought their support for his party candidates in the three-phase poll starting October 28.

Earlier on Sunday, the LJP decided to put up its candidates against the JD(U) citing "ideological differences" with the party to assert that it will not accept Kumar's leadership of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Paswan said, "This is the most decisive moment in the history of the state of Bihar. It is a question of life and death of the 12 crore people of the state and we have no time to lose.... The road ahead is not easy for the LJP but we will fight and win too," adding all LJP MLAs will work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the principal member of the NDA and it has already announced Kumar as the leader of the bloc in the state.

The 37-year-old leader also made a reference to his ailing father, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who has undergone heart surgery at a private hospital in Delhi and is expected to remain hospitalised for some time.

Talking about Saying "Bihar first, Bihari first" vision document, Paswan said his father would be proud that his son has stuck to the issue he had raised through it.

On Sunday, the LJP announced that it will go solo in the upcoming Assembly election in Bihar. Chirag Paswan made the statement after a meeting of its senior party leaders in Delhi. In response to a question on whether the LJP has decided to join hands with the BJP, he said, "Let me enjoy the moment." 

Talking to media after the meeting of LJP's central parliamentary board at his residence in Delhi, Chirag said, "I will not speak more but we will win the battle." 

"Lok Janshakti Party will not contest the upcoming Bihar elections in alliance with Janata Dal (United) due to ideological differences," Abdul Khaliq, national general secretary, LJP said.

Notably, Bihar Assembly polls will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3, and November 7, while the counting of votes will take place on November 10.