The BJP-led NDA, which is set to announce seat-sharing arrangements for 2019 Lok Sabha elections on Sunday, has placated sulking ally LJP by offering it five seats in Bihar and one in Uttar Pradesh, it is learnt. The LJP is set to get a Rajya Sabha berth as well, with party chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan unlikely to contest the upcoming elections due to his ill-health, sources said. BJP president Amit Shah has already announced that JD(U) and BJP will contest on an equal number of seats — 17 each. With five seats to the LJP, the last remaining seat of the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar can be given to EBC leader Mukesh Sahni or RJD rebel MP and Jan Adhikar Party chief Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, sources said. The final figure of seat arrangements is expected to be announced jointly by NDA leaders on Sunday. Top JD(U) and LJP sources told The Sunday Express that the LJP has agreed on BJP’s offer to contest five seats in Bihar. The LJP had won six seats in 2014 polls — Vaishali, Hajipur, Samastipur, Jamui, Munger and Khagaria. While LJP is all set to contest Hajipur, Vaishali, Samastipur and Jamui, its sitting Munger seat will be contested by JD(U) leader and Bihar water resources minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh. LJP’s Khagaria seat, currently held by Choudhary Mehboob Ali Qaisar, may go to JD(U). LJP can be given Nawada or Begusarai seat. Paswan, who on Friday left for Mumbai for a week-long tour, will return to Delhi on Sunday morning to announce the seat-sharing with JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, it is learnt. Nitish, who was scheduled to return to Patna on Saturday after attending a wedding ceremony in Delhi, stayed in the national capital and is likely to be joined by BJP leaders on Sunday when the NDA constituents make the announcement. Sources said that the BJP does not want to lose LJP to ensure the support of SC and ST communities, especially after recently losing power in three states. “For the votes of SCs/STs, it will be better for the NDA to keep LJP in the alliance, especially after loss of power in three states,” a JD(U) leader in Bihar said. An LJP source said, “As we had contested seven seats last time, we are being given seven this time, including a Rajya Sabha berth.” In case Paswan does not contest elections, either his younger brother Padhupati Kunar Paras or wife Reena Paswan could contest from Hajipur. Chirag Paswan and Ramchandra Paswan are set to contest from their sitting constutiencies of Jamui and Samastipur, respectively.
