Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday said that all the allies of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will get proper representation in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Chaudhary’s remarks came even as the NDA in Bihar grapples with the question of seat-sharing as crucial meetings unfold in Delhi and Patna to streamline the distribution of Lok Sabha seats among its constituents in the state.
Responding to a question of dismay within the smaller NDA constituents, Choudhary said, “They all will be taken into account and will get proper representation”.
When asked about the timeline of announcing candidates in Bihar for Lok Sabha seats, the BJP leader said that there is ample time and assured that a seat-sharing deal will be revealed before the announcement of general election dates.
Meanwhile, the Janata Dal United (JDU) echoed a similar stance.
MLC and former Bihar Minister Ashok Chaudhary asserted that all was well within the NDA and assured that the seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls would be disclosed well in advance.
When asked about the dismay expressed by Chirag Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha, Chaudhary said, “Everything will be made public at the right time”.
Notably, both Upendra Kushwaha and Chirag Paswan made last-minute adjustments to their schedules ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s recent public meeting in Begusarai and were notably absent together, fueling speculation around their possible discontent.
Addressing a rally, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) President Chirag Paswan dropped hints that he was weighing his options and could tilt towards the side with a better bargain.
“I can see the posse of media persons here who are anxious to know whom Chirag Paswan is aligned with. I wish to tell them that Chirag Paswan is aligned only with the people of Bihar,” Chirag Paswan said.
“Every party, every coalition wants Chirag Paswan to be on its side,” he said, adding that this was because people were enamoured with his “Bihar first Bihari first” vision that seeks to pull the state out of chronic backwardness.