AMN /

BJP and its ally Hindustani Awam Morcha, HAM today held another round of negotiations over seat sharing issue for upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. Union Minister Ananth Kumar who is also BJP in-charge for Bihar polls met former Bihar Chief Minister and HAM President Jitan Ram Manjhi in New Delhi and discussed the issue.

Intensifying the efforts to placate Mr Manjhi, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP leader Bhupendra Yadav also met Mr Manjhi to bring him on board on the seat sharing formula.

Mr Manjhi also played down differences with the BJP over the number of seats offered to him saying that he is not upset. BJP leader Bhupender Yadav, and Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Ananth Kumar also had a meeting with party president Amit Shah in this regard.

The BJP has already resolved the issue with two other allies-Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP and Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP.

BJP is likely to contest on 160 seats, leaving rest for its allies.

Polls to the 243-seat Bihar Assembly will be held in five phases between 12th of October and 5th of November. The counting will be held on 8th of November.The term of the current Assembly expires on 29th of November.

Taking a dig at the ongoing seat sharing tussle between NDA for Bihar Assembly elections, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said when there is an alliance without any principle and for what he called opportunism, such things happen. He said this is the beginning of the contradiction in the NDA and one should wait to see what happens next.