Grand alliance in Bihar to finalise seat sharing by Feb 25

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) With barely three months to go for the Lok Sabha elections, the "Mahagatbandhan" (grand alliance) in Bihar is all set to finalise the seat sharing formula in the state by February 25, party leaders said on Wednesday.

The development comes a day after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav met Congress President Rahul Gandhi in the national capital.

Confirming the meeting between Yadav and Gandhi, a senior Congress leader told IANS, "The talks over the seat sharing formula in Bihar are in final round. We are hopeful that an announcement will be made by February 25."

He also said that till date the talks have been positive.

Yadav was supposed to meet senior Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh at his residence in Delhi on Wednesday evening, but the meeting has now been shifted to Patna on Friday.

A meeting of several leaders is also scheduled with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is undergoing treatment at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.

The "Mahagatbandhan" in Bihar comprises the Congress, the RJD, the Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) led by former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and the Vikasshil Insan Party (VIP).

According to sources in the Congress, the RJD would be getting the maximum number of seats followed by the Congress. The remaining seats will go to HAM-S, RLSP and VIP.

As per party sources, the RJD is willing to contest on 22 seats, while the Congress is eyeing 10 seats in the state.

The Congress has recently got a boost in the state after disgruntled BJP MP from Darbhanga Kirti Azad joined the party.