Nitish Kumar Arrives in Delhi, May Finalise Seat-Sharing With BJP
Kumar made an unscheduled visit to Delhi where he is likely to undergo medical treatment.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday, 17 September, made an unscheduled visit to the national capital where he is likely to undergo medical treatment, besides, possibly, finalising seat-sharing arrangements with other NDA partners ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
According to sources in the chief minister’s office in Patna, Kumar left for Delhi in the afternoon and is likely to stay there for the next couple of days.
The sources cited health reasons for Kumar’s sudden visit to the national capital, which comes a day after the state executive meeting of his party – Janata Dal (United).
JD(U)'s Bihar unit president Vasishtha Narayan Singh had recently said a seat-sharing formula was likely to be arrived at “by mid-September”.
At the JD(U)'s state executive meeting on Sunday, which saw the induction of poll strategist Prashant Kishor, Kumar reportedly told party workers that decks had been cleared for a “respectable” seat-sharing arrangement.
The party mounted pressure on its alliance partner BJP for giving it a “respectable number of seats” under the NDA umbrella, which also comprises Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP and Upendra Kushwaha's RLSP.
It is also widely believed that among other things, Prashant Kishor is likely to be entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring proper communication between the JD(U) and other NDA partners, especially the BJP.
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