NEW DELHI, 22 September 2005 — After three hours of discussions, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and its allies in Bihar yesterday wrapped up seat-sharing talks for the assembly elections in the state.
The Congress party expressed “satisfaction” over the talks’ outcome but refused to reveal the number of seats being contested by each party.
“Talks are over and nothing is left. Which party will contest how many and which seats will be announced only after the notification,” Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters after the meeting with RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Political Secretary to Congress president Ahmed Patel also participated in the talks.
The nationalist congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) are also partners in the RJD-led alliance.
Asserting that everything has been settled well, Digvijay dismissed as “baseless” reports that Congress will get very few seats to contest. He said, “We are satisfied” over the talks and the alliance would be contesting all 243 assembly seats in Bihar.
Declining to make any guess on the number of seats the party would be contesting, he said what was important was not the number of seats being contested but being won by the party.
He said talks were over on the Common Minimum Program and same would be released at a joint press conference after the notification for elections is issued on Sept. 23.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner B.B. Tandon yesterday met senior state officials as well as top police officers from 12 Maoist strongholds ahead of the October-November assembly polls.
Tandon’s meeting with district magistrates, superintendents of police, deputy inspector generals of police and divisional commissioners was considered important for the conduct of peaceful polls. He and his team directed officials to ensure violence free polls and deployment adequate paramilitary forces.
Tandon is visiting Bihar for the fifth time in a month to review the poll preparations. He arrived here Tuesday.
Outlawed Maoist rebels have threatened to enforce their call for a boycott of the Bihar assembly elections in October-November. Intelligence agencies have alerted Bihar Police about the possibility of stepped up violence by the rebels.
Over 50 assembly constituencies are regarded as being vulnerable to Maoist violence. They include Gaya, Aurangabad, Jehanabad, Nawada, Sasaram and Nalanda.
The Election Commission has announced a four-phase poll schedule for the politically volatile state — on Oct. 18 and 26, and Nov. 13 and 19. Counting of votes will be taken up Nov. 22.
