JD (U) demands 25 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar

Ahead of a crucial meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday, which is expected to discuss seat sharing among coalition partners for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Janata Dal (United) mounted pressure on its coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to give 25 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

JD (U)'s General Secretary S Rajak said the party doesn't want to settle to less than 25 seats in the upcoming general elections.

Rajak told ANI, "Nitish Kumar and JD(U) are playing a major role in Bihar. We had contested the election on 25 seats. They'll have to give us 25 seats, no question of any lesser number of seats. If NDA wants to be benefited by Nitish Kumar's image, they'll have to do justice to JD(U) and him."

"We're with NDA on grounds of ideology and policies but we'll not be lying if we say that injustice has been done to us. We've not been given the priority we deserve but even if that is done to us, we'll continue to be with NDA, as we're now," he said.

The General Secretary raised the issue of reservation for Dalits in higher judiciary.

"There's reservation in the judiciary in Bihar. Why can't it be done for Supreme and High Court ? It raises suspicions on BJP's intentions. If they're dedicated towards Ambedkar and Dalits, they must do justice with Dalits, Bihar and give us respectable partnership to prove it's a strong alliance," Rajak added.

A day before the JDU claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be the NDA face in the 2019 general elections, but the alliance will have to seek votes in Bihar on the basis of the Nitish Kumar government's performance.