JD(U), BJP both claim senior partner status in LS poll seat sharing

New Delhi: It may be the repercussion of the defeat that BJP faced in the recently held parliamentary by-elections that Janata Dal (United) – JD(U) has started demanding the lion's share in the Lok Sabha elections which is due to be held in early 2019.

According to sources, JD (U), which is led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has set the results of 2009 general elections as the benchmark for seat sharing between alliance partners.

"The JD(U) has always been the senior alliance partner in every coalition whether its Grand Alliance or NDA. If needed, the BJP would have to vacate its sitting seats to follow the alliance dharma as JD(U) did in Jehanabad assembly by-poll," a senior JD (U) functionary said, adding that the final decision in this regard would be taken during the upcoming meeting of NDA partners.

Notably, the JD (U) had contested on 25 seats and won 22 seats, while BJP had fought on 15 seats and won 12. Two other allies — Lok Janshakti Party and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party — were not the part of the NDA in the 2009 polls.

Sending out a clear signal that Lok Sabha polls in Bihar would be fought under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, JD (U) spokesman Ajay Alok said, "Nitish Kumar has always been the leader of the NDA in Bihar. JD(U) has always been the senior coalition partner, the proverbial big brother. There is nothing new in that."

To a query whether the JD (U), which had only two members in the Lok Sabha, was likely to press for a seat-sharing arrangement commensurate with its relatively higher strength in the state assembly, Alok said, "In the past, there have been occasions when the JD (U) has fought on 25 out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, and the BJP contested 15."

Meanwhile, BJP leaders sought to play down JD(U)'s stance.

Narendra Modi is the face of the NDA in the country while Nitish Kumar is its leader in Bihar. Where is a contradiction in that," Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters in Delhi.