LJP functionaries at a meeting in Patna on Thursday

Patna: Amid speculations over seat-sharing within the NDA, LJP(RV) on Thursday authorised party president and Union minister Chirag Paswan to take all decisions regarding seats and candidates for the Bihar assembly elections.LJP(RV) state president Raju Tiwari said, “We discussed all important points and authorised our leader to take all decisions and the party’s rank and file will abide by it. The party will enter the electoral fray unitedly.”Following Union minister Nityanand Rai’s meeting with Chirag in Delhi, Tiwari added that the seat-sharing issue with other NDA partners would be resolved soon. Rai confirmed that Chirag is not unhappy and party sources ruled out any possibility of him severing ties with the NDA.For the first time, Chirag’s LJP(RV) — or his original LJP founded by his late father Ram Vilas Paswan — will contest the Bihar assembly elections as an ally of JD(U) led by CM Nitish Kumar. In 2020, Chirag had fielded 135 candidates, mostly against JD(U), significantly contributing to the party’s reduction to third position.Apart from HAM(S) demanding 15 seats, Chirag had delayed seat-sharing in the NDA by requesting a few sitting seats from allies JD(U), HAM(S) and even BJP. His requests included Matihani in Begusarai, previously won by Raj Kumar Singh on the LJP(RV) ticket before he switched to JD(U), Govindganj for state president Raju Tiwari, and Sikandra in Jamui from HAM(S) — all of which JD(U) and HAM(S) refused.The party also sought Lalganj from BJP for former MP Rama Singh, Mahua in Vaishali where JD(U) had finished second in 2020 and Sahebpur Kamal where LJP(RV) had secured 22,871 votes. Chirag is also eyeing Gaighat, where Komal Singh, daughter of his party MP Veena Devi, had received 36,851 votes. Other seats on the party’s wishlist include Brahmapur for state parliamentary board chief Hulas Pandey, Sheikhpura and Rajapakad.