The BJP and the JDU, the main constituents of the alliance, are likely to contest almost equal number of seats for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, hints from the Bihar NDA camp suggest.

That would mean the BJP sacrificing some of its sitting seats for its allies.

“The broader formula is that after offering seats to the LJP and the RLSP, the remaining seats would be divided equally in case the number is even, or an additional seat to the BJP in case the number of the remaining seats is odd,” an NDA source said.

The LJP had been given seven seats in the 2014 elections, while the RLSP had contested three. The two constituents, however, are likely to get fewer seats than last time.

“The LJP is likely to get five or six seats and Paswanji (Ram Vilas Paswan) would not have much problem with this offer. RLSP is set to be offered not more than two seats this time which means there would be over 30 seats left to be divided between the BJP and the JDU,” said the source, adding that the final call on numbers would be taken only after the stand of all the alliance partners becomes clearer.

For now, Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP seems to be the main hurdle in giving a final shape to the seat-sharing formula.

“Kushwaha has been sending conflicting signals about his continuance in the alliance. It has been left to the BJP leadership to deal with him,” said the source.

The JDU does not seem to be concerned if the BJP ends up contesting one or two seats more than it, but it does expect an honourable space in the alliance.

“Our leader Nitish Kumar has announced that the JDU would get an honourable share. He doesn’t say such things without any substance,” a JDU functionary said.

Though BJP leaders are not willing to speak anything on record claiming that the final call had to be taken by the party central leadership, some senior leaders of the party did accept that in the final formula there would not be much difference in the number of seats between the BJP and the JDU.

“One shouldn’t forget that even during the 2014 (Lok Sabha) elections, when the JDU won just two seats contesting alone, the party had secured over 15 per cent of the vote share. How can our leadership ignore the fact at a time when the Opposition is getting united ahead of the 2019 elections,” a senior BJP leader said.

Amit Shah Telegraph picture