Chirag Paswan’s LJP Agrees Seat-Share Deal With BJP, “Details Soon”

New Delhi: 

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Lok Janshakti Party have agreed a seat-share deal for the Lok Sabha election in Bihar, LJP boss Chirag Paswan said Wednesday. Details will be released at an “appropriate time”, Mr Paswan said, sharing images on X of himself in talks with BJP chief JP Nadda.

Confirmation of the BJP-LJP deal comes after speculation last week the INDIA bloc had opened talks with Mr Paswan’s party. Sources said the LJP had been offered eight seats. These would have included the six won in 2019 election and, as a bonus, tickets for two constituencies in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

Sources also said the offer included a second sweetener – Mr Paswan would not have to share the seats with his estranged uncle. The BJP deal reportedly had such a clause.The saffron party must accommodate at least two other smaller outfits, including former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), in addition to sharing seats with the ruling Janata Dal (United), which fought 17 (of the state’s 40) in the last poll.