Congress-RJD Bihar Seat Sharing Agreement: Rahul Gandhi’s Congress party and Lalu Prasad Yadav led Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD) have sorted out the vexed issue of seat sharing for Bihar Lok Sabha election. NDA has already taken the lead in the state by fixing the seats for each partner  while the Congress-RJD sparred over seat sharing. Senior leaders in the Congress and RJD confirmed to Financial Express Online that the seat sharing alliance has been formalised and it will be announced on Friday.

“We will announce our alliance on March 22,” Shaktisingh Gohil, Congress General Secretary and AICC in-charge of Bihar told Financial Express Online, adding that the announcement will be made by former deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav.

Both the parties have identified candidates that will be fielded by respective alliance partner in the crucial Hindi heartland state.

“We have sorted out the issue of seat sharing with Congress. And we have also identified candidates,” said RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Misa Yadav.

However, Misa Yadav refused to divulge the details of exact number of seats to be contested by each partner as her party is planning to make a formal announcement on Friday, a day after Holi.

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“This time our family is not celebrating Holi because of Pulwama attack, but others may be celebrating the festival. So the seat sharing pact will be announced after the festival,” Rajya Sabha member Misa Yadav told Financial Express Online.

Though, the formal announcement will be made a day after Holi, official sources in RJD told Financial Express Online that the party will contest on 19 seats and the Congress will contest on 9 seats. According to sources, as per the understanding Upendra Kushwaha led Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) will contest on 4 seats, Jitan Ram Manjhi led Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) will field candidates in 3  seats, two seats each have been left of the Left parties and Mukesh Sahni led Vikashsheel Insan Party (VIP) and one is given to Sharad Yadav led Loktantrik Jananta Dal (LJD).

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However, the delay in announcing the candidates will make it difficult for the candidates to file their nomination as the last date for filing the nomination for four seats – Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada and Jamui ends on March 25. The candidates for these four seats will have just three days to complete all the formalities.

NDA has already given Nawada (SC) reserved seat to its alliance partner Lok Jan Shakti Party led by union consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan. BJP’s decision to give it to LJP has already caused issues within the party as it is held by union minister Giriraj Singh, a staunch loyalist of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.