The seat-sharing negotiations within the BJP-led alliance for the next year’s Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are going to be a challenging affair, with the smaller parties seeking to contest more seats and the BJP asking them not to make any specific claims on seats.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin, who concluded his two-day visit to UP on Sunday, met the leaders of alliance partners, including Apna Dal (Sonelal), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), and Nishad Party.
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Sources said that in the meeting, Nabin asked the alliance leaders to maintain coordination and “not make claims on specific seats”.
Asking alliance leaders to “work together” to win seats lost by the BJP-led NDA in 2022, Nabin told them that discussions on the distribution of seats will be held in Delhi later, said sources.
Nabin’s suggestion to the alliance partners came after RLD general secretary (Organisation) Trilok Tyagi told the BJP that his party has expanded its organisational base beyond its stronghold in west UP, and has held rallies and public programmes in all the 18 divisions of the state, with a focus on eastern and central UP.
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Sources said that Tyagi told the BJP chief that RLD president and Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary recently held “grand public programmes” in Deoria, Basti, Varanasi, and Sonbhadra, all in eastern parts of the state. Sources said that the RLD leader also sought an opportunity for the party to contest a few seats in eastern UP, suggesting that whichever party appears to be strong in terms of social equations and organisational network should be given the Assembly seat to contest.
The RLD also suggested “increased coordination” among the leaders of allies at the level of state, district, and Assembly constituencies.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin with UP Deputy Chief Minister Shri Keshav Prasad Maurya and UP CM Yogi (Photo/X@NitinNabin) 
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