PATNA: Union minister Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP on Saturday threatened the BJP to quit NDA if the saffron party continued to sideline it vis-à-vis the JD(U) over the seat-sharing issue. RJD led by Lalu Prasad has already invited Kushwaha to join the Mahagathbandhan Expressing anguish over the reports that the BJP might give CM Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) 16-17 seats and the Kushwaha’s party just two to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, RLSP working president Nagmani said they are being forced to quit NDA and join the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan. He said the RLSP commands 10% of the votes against JD(U)’s only 2% and the seats should be distributed accordingly.“It is ironical that BJP has to negotiate the seat-sharing arrangements with JD(U), which has not more than 2% votes of Kurmis in the state. Whereas our party commands the votes of entire Kushwaha community, which is around 10%,” Nagmani told TOI.“The way things are happening clearly indicates that RLSP is being sidelined. They — BJP and JD(U) — are thus compelling us to quit NDA and join Mahagathbandhan. BJP must acknowledge the fact that we are their partners and not slaves and should be treated accordingly,” he said.The BJP, however, said a consensus would reached soon over seat-sharing among the NDA partners. “All the NDA constituents will sit together and arrive at an honourable consensus at an appropriate time. There are no irritants and hiccups. We all are united and will contest all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar together,” BJP’s state vice-president Devesh Kumar said.Asked to comment on RLSP’s statement, JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said, “There is freedom of expression. Nitish Kumar is the most respectable leader of NDA in Bihar and everyone knows it.”But RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said Kushwaha is not comfortable in the NDA and he would join the Mahagathbandhan very soon.Incidentally, top JD(U) and BJP leaders have several rounds of talks over seat-sharing, but smaller allies of the NDA like RLSP and Ram Vilas Paswan- led LJP are still awaiting any formal discussion for the same.As per indications based on talks between BJP and JD(U), RLSP may get maximum three Lok Sabha seats to contest if the 20:20 formula materialized. Under this formula, BJP will contest 20 seats, JD(U) 12 and LJP 5, leaving three seats for the RLSP.However, JD (U) has reportedly floated a 50:50 formula at Nitish’s meeting with BJP president Amit Shah in Delhi on Wednesday. Sources said the 50:50 formula envisages 16 seats each to the BJP and JD(U) while six for LJP and two for RLSP.Sources said if RLSP rejects the 50:50 proposal, the BJP and JD(U) may contest 17 seats each, leaving six for LJP.Kushwaha had on August 25 floated his ‘Kheer theory’ saying “Yaduvanshion ka dudh aur Kushwanshiyon ka chawal mil jaye to kheer banne me der nai…”, indicating a possible alliance between RLSP and RJD. Kushwahas are traditionally known as a farming community and Yadavs for rearing cattle and milk business.

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