BJP can form govt on its own in Bihar but we respect alliance dharma: Union Minister RK Singh

New Delhi [India], September 4 (ANI): BJP leader and Union Power Minister RK Singh has said that BJP is capable of forming a government on its own in Bihar assembly polls but the party has been in alliance with JD-U for over two decades and respects "alliance dharma" and will not leave its friends.
The minister said that the BJP has a solid support base in Bihar.
"BJP can form a government on its own in Bihar. But one thing should be understood that we formed an alliance with JD-U in 1996 and we have an old partnership so why should we leave our partnership. We are not going to break our alliance. Having said that, we surely are in a position to fight alone and form a government by fighting alone. There should be no doubt about that," Singh told ANI.
"The support base of our party and our leader PM Narendra Modi is solid in Bihar. There should be no doubt in this. But one thing is sure that we will not leave our friends. Our partnership with JD-U is so old that we will not leave it," he said.
JD-U had ended its 17-year-old alliance with BJP in 2013 but rejoined the BJP-led NDA in 2017 after snapping its ties with RJD. The two parties had fought the last assembly polls against each other and fought the 2019 Lok Sabha polls together.
Singh, who is MP from Arrah, said the result of Lok Sabha polls clearly show "what is the support base of BJP and PM Narendra Modi in Bihar".
"It is clear that on the basis of the support base, there should be seat-sharing between BJP-JDU. If the parties take reality into consideration, then weightage of BJP is more."
The BJP leader said that seat-sharing will be done amicably between BJP, JD-U and LJP very soon.
The Union Power Minister rejected the challenge posed by the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar Assembly polls.
"As far as the Mahagathbandhan is concerned, RJD and Congress are scattered. Manjhiji has also joined our alliance. Many of the MLAs and MLCs of Mahagathbandhan have come to us. They are not in the contest anywhere," he said.
Election on 243 Assembly seats of Bihar is due in October-November. The tenure of the current Assembly will end on November 29.
The Election Commission has not yet taken a final call on poll dates in Bihar due to the coronavirus pandemic. (ANI)