"BJP eating away alliance partners": Congress' Manickam Tagore on NDA's seat-sharing in Bihar

New Delhi [India], October 15 (ANI): Amid the reports of Bihar's NDA alliance facing internal tensions over seat-sharing, Congress leader Manickam Tagore on Wednesday accused the BJP of "finishing" the other parties in the coalition.
Speaking to ANI, Tagore said, "BJP is eating away the alliance partners. They are finishing Nitish Kumar and Upendra Singh Kushwaha. They are also finishing other parties in the alliance. It is in the DNA of the BJP to finish the friends who have been with them."
Meanwhile, Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal said that the NDA is going into the Bihar Assembly elections with "rock-solid unity."
Speaking to ANI, Jaiswal said, "The NDA is going into the elections with rock-solid unity. So, Upendra and everyone else will be working together on nominations starting tomorrow... Along with the six assembly seats he (Upendra Kushwaha) has been given, the BJP will also give him an MLC seat."
Earlier on Tuesday, Union Minister and Hindustan Awam Morcha (Secular) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi justified the anger of JD(U), stating that the decision to field candidates from their quota lies with Nitish Kumar.
He also warned that his party will contest against Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in Bodh Gaya and Makhdumpur assembly constituencies. However, he also expressed confidence in the NDA's victory in the high-stakes Bihar elections.
Jitan Ram Manjhi said, "Their anger is justified. I agree with their anger. When the decision has been made, why is someone else fielding their candidate in seats allocated to JD(U)? Agreeing with them, I too will field my candidates in Bodhgaya and Makhdumpur...Agreeing with the step taken by Nitish Kumar, I am fielding my candidates in two seats. List is ready...NDA will win with a majority."
The move is seen as a challenge to Chirag Paswan's LJP, which has been allocated 29 seats in the Bihar assembly elections. Meanwhile, HAM has already announced its candidates for six seats, among whom four are sitting MLAs.
While the National Democratic Alliance has decided on seat distribution among its constituents for the Bihar polls, the Mahagathbandhan is yet to do so. Meetings are being held among Mahagathbandhan partners to reach a mutually acceptable formula for seat distribution.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already announced its two lists of candidates. The second list of 12 candidates was announced today, taking the total tally of declared candidates to 83 out of 101 seats allotted to the party in the final seat-sharing distribution within the NDA.
NDA allies Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) have also declared some of their candidates while Hindustan Awam Morcha (Secular) has announced all of its six candidates for the forthcoming Bihar Assembly polls.
The polling for the 243-seat Assembly is scheduled to be held on November 6 and November 11, with counting set for November 14. (ANI)