JD-U, RJD, Congress fail to resolve Bihar seats tangle

Patna, Sep 15 The alliance of the JD-U, the RJD and the Congress is finding it difficult to sort out differences over three dozen of the 243 assembly seats in Bihar, but leaders said they were hopeful the issue will be resolved in the next two days.

Janata Dal-United state president Vashsisht Narain Singh told the media on Tuesday that talks among the leaders of the grand alliance were in the final stages.

"Everything will be sorted out by Wednesday or Thursday," he said.

According to JD-U leaders, the main issue was that the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress were seeking a share of the seats the JD-U had won in the last assembly polls in 2010.

JD-U leaders said if the party accepts the RJD's and the Congress' demand, some sitting JD-U legislators will be denied tickets and that may foment trouble within the party.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday was authorised by the party to take the final decision about the candidates.

RJD state president Ram Chandra Purve said it was decided in the party parliamentary board meeting to authorise Lalu Prasad to finalise the names of the candidates.

"A meeting of the party parliamentary board will be held on September 17 and Lalu Prasad will formally decide and is likely to announce the list of candidates," he said.

The alliance has already decided that the RJD and the JD-U will contest 100 seats each, while the Congress will contest 40 seats. The assembly has a total of 243 seats.