Was assured that I will contest from the seat I want to: Giriraj Singh after Nawada seat was given to LJP in Bihar

A day after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders of Bihar announced the seat-sharing in Bihar for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday claimed that he was assured by the party that he will contest from the seat he wants to; however that did not happen.

Singh told ANI: "I cannot say much on it. Only the state president can say anything on it because he kept saying that you will fight from wherever you want till the last moment. I cannot really comment on that but I did say that if I contest, I will contest from Nawada."

 

However, Nawada seat has been given to the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

Chirag Paswan of LJP said that he is not aware that Singh is upset over Nawada seat. He also assured that he will talk to Singh and will try to resolve the issue.

"We have good relations with him. I got to know through the media that he is a little upset. I will call him and ask him if it is so. And if he is upset, I will try to resolve the issue," said Paswan.

BJP will contest on Patliputra, Patna Sahib, Arrah, East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj, Saran, Buxar, Sasaram, Begusarai, Araria, Aurangabad and Ujiyarpur parliamentary constituencies.

While the JD (U) will contest on Purnia, Madhepura, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katihar, Siwan, Balmiki Nagar, Jhanjharpur, Sitamarhi, Gaya, Gopalganj, Munger, Banka, Bhagalpur, Nalanda , Karakat and Jahanabad Lok Sabha seats.

LJP will fight on six seats--Hajipur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Jamui, Nawada and Khagadia, he added.

The formula of seat-sharing was announced a few months ago in Delhi jointly by BJP president Amit Shah, JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar, and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan.

According to the NDA seat-sharing formula, the BJP and the JD(U) will contest 17 seats each, while the remaining six would be fought by the LJP.

Bihar will see polling in seven phases. The dates of polling in Bihar will be on April 11, 18, 23, 29 and May 6, 12 and 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won only four seats and the Congress two. The JD-U, which contested separately, won two seats.

The BJP-led NDA won 31 seats, with the former's tally being 22.