Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday addressed a joint conference to declare that the seat sharing agreement had been reached within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). But what caught everyone’s attention was a meeting between Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP)’s Upendra Kushwaha.
The meeting triggered speculations of a new political equation ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Suggesting that political discussions took place during the meeting, the former Bihar deputy chief minister told mediapersons that “meetings are always positive”.
The Yadav scion, however, claimed that he already had a scheduled event in Arwal, and on the sidelines of it he met with Upendra Kushwaha. He said, “I had a scheduled event in Arwal and met him (Upendra Kushwaha) at the circuit house. Meetings are always positive.”
Met Union Minister and RLSP Chief Sh. @UpendraRLSP Ji at Arwal Circuit guest house. pic.twitter.com/qQm8fAHAmp
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) October 26, 2018
When asked about what transpired during the meeting, Tejashwi said, “It’s not compulsory to receiver what we talked about.”
“Ek hi din mein sabkuch thodi na hota hai. Dhire dhire aage gaadi badhti hai (Everything does not happen in a day. The vehicle moves forward gradually),” said Tejashwi, the leader of opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly.
Responding to a question on whether he called Chirag Paswan, son of Lok Janshakti Party supremo Ram Vilas Paswan, a BJP ally, Tejashwi said, “What conversation happened with whom, everything will be revealed in due time.”
Upendra Kushwaha told news agency ANI that the meeting with Tejashwi Yadav was a “coincidence”. Talking about the seat sharing announcement made by Amit Shah, the RLSP chief said that “nothing is final”.
He said, “Nothing is final on seat sharing. Amit Shah ji also said that we will finalise it in a few days. Meeting with Tejashwi Yadav was just a coincidence.”
This came on a day when Amit Shah and Nitish Kumar announced that the BJP and the JDU would contest on 16 seats each in Bihar during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The remaining eight Lok Sabha constituency from the state will be shared among other NDA constituents, including the RLSP and the LJP.
(With ANI inputs)
