(UNI) Keeping rumours to rest that the Ram Vilas Paswan-headed LJP is on the verge of exit from NDA ahead of 2019 General Elections, the key constituents of NDA in Bihar — the BJP, JDU and LJP on Sunday agreed to contest the polls together with the saffron outfit and Nitish Kumar’s party contesting on 17 each while the LJP on 6 seats.
In a joint press conference, BJP President Amit Shah announced that his party and the JDU will contest on 17-17 seats while the LJP on 6 seats in Bihar which sends 40 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha.
“We hope to do better than 2014,” said BJP chief Amit Shah, while announcing the agreement in New Delhi.
Nitish Kumar, who managed to get seats equal to that of the BJP, said the decision of the candidates for the seats will be taken later. “We will work together and will improve our performance than 2009 and 2014,” he said.
The NDA will also send Mr Paswan to the Rajya Sabha as per the seat sharing arrangements concluded between all three parties.
It is learnt that the decision was announced after Mr Paswan and LJP Parliamentary chief Chirag Paswan met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley here.
Last week, Chirag Paswan took to micro-blogging site for early settlement of seat sharing formula.
On December 10, Upendra Kushwaha-headed RLSP left NDA after the NDA denied three seats to his party. The RLSP has three members in the Lok Sabha.
Mr Kushwaha joined the grand alliance few days back, has a sizeable nine per cent presence of his caste men in the state.