RJD, Congress talks hit roadblock over Purnea, Katihar Lok Sabha seats
Hindustan TimesPurnea and Katihar, two seats currently held by the Janata Dal, have emerged as the sticking point in seat-sharing talks between the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress for the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, top leaders of the former said. On Tuesday evening, leader of opposition in Bihar assembly and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav held a meeting with senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik in Delhi, following which he claimed a deal was struck between members of the five-party ‘Mahagathbandhan’ or Grand Alliance in Bihar and an announcement would be made within next few days in Patna. Our party is ready to allot eight to nine seats to the Congress but we cannot give up our claim on Purnea,” said a senior RJD leader, seeking anonymity. Former governor and senior Congress leader Nikhil Kumar expressed his displeasure over the way RJD named Abhya Kushwaha from the Aurangabad parliamentary seat he was keen to contest.