Tejashwi meets Congress’ Venugopal for 2 hrs as deadlock on seat sharing still to be resolved in Mahagatbandhan

New Delhi: With seat sharing deal yet to be announced, Congress leaders on Monday had a detailed meeting with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav over assembly seats.

Tejashwi Yadav, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly held meeting with Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, along with Bihar incharge Krishna Allavaru, state unit chief Rajesh Ram, CLP Shakeel Ahmed Khan and several others at the party’s war room. 

The meeting of Tejashwi Yadav and RJD Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Yadav along with Venugopal and other Congress leaders lasted for over two hours. 

The sources said that during the meeting, a lot of seat sharing issues were discussed which involved the seats of Congress on which RJD has been claiming to contest, the demands of Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) Mukesh Sahni among others.

Before this meeting of Tejashwi, the Congress leaders had a detailed meeting with Venugopal, Screening Committee chairman Ajay Maken and the Bihar leaders. 

Speaking to The Daily Guardian, Rajesh Ram said that the meeting of Bihar leaders took place with Rahul Gandhi and he was briefed about the Congress stand. 

He said that Rahul Gandhi has asked the state leaders to focus on party’s interest and then proceed with the seat sharing talks. 

The sources, meanwhile, maintained that the Mahagatbandhan or Grand Alliance is likely to finalise the seat sharing deal anytime with just a meeting of Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav to give the final shape.  

The sources also indicated that once the seat sharing deal is finalised, the announcement will be made in Bihar’¥s capital Patna. 

However, by 7 p.m. on Monday the meeting of Tejashwi Yadav with the Congress leadership did not take place. 

The sources also said that Congress is seeking to contest on at least 60 seats with plus or minus two seats. 

The Mahagatbandhan seat sharing talks had hit a roadblock as all the alliance partners have been demanding more seats in the state. 

The Congress, however, is hopeful that seat sharing deal will be finalised by Monday night. 

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Yadav told The Daily Guardian that seat sharing has almost been finalised and it can be announced anytime. 

The polling for the 243 member assembly is set to take place in two phases on November 6 and 11 and counting of votes will take place on November 14. 

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has already announced the seat sharing deal for Bihar with BJP and Janata Dal United contesting on 101 seats each, while the Chirag Paswan led Lok Janshakti Party Ramvilas to contest on 29 seats and Upendra Kushwaha’s and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s party to contest on six seats each. 

The opposition Mahagatbandhan is looking to wrest power from the NDA in this year’s assembly polls.