Patna, December 29: Amid the ongoing rift with ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue of CAA-NRC, Janata Dal (United) vice-president Prashant Kishor stoked a fresh row on Sunday by pitching for a "1:1.4 seat-sharing deal" for the Bihar assembly elections 2020. Kishor, who rose from a poll strategist to a top functionary of the party, said the JD(U) should demand more seats than the BJP for the assembly polls, if the alliance with NDA remains intact. BJP Ally JD(U) Refuses Support to NPR Days After Nitish Kumar Ruled Out NRC in Bihar.

Kishor, while speaking to a news channel, said the JD(U) is entitled for"1:1.4 deal" as it is the bigger alliance partner in Bihar. The party has won more seats than its saffron ally in all the state assembly elections so far. Kishor's contentious pitch comes weeks after BJP president Amit Shah had announced that the NDA would move into the elections next year under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

With the BJP being dented in Haryana and unseated from power in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the aggressive posture shown by the JD(U) assumes significance. The election strategist, who is considered close to JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, is also at the forefront of leading attack against the BJP on the issue of CAA-NRC.

Kishor has issued repeated appeals to CMs of all non-BJP ruled states to join hands in opposing the citizenship project of the Centre. The NPR process should be put on hold by all state governments which are opposed to the NRC, he said, adding that there is "clear link" between the two exercise and the Citizenship Amendment Act.

In Bihar, the BJP and JD(U) contested the elections of 2005 and 2010 under a pre-poll alliance. In the former, Nitish's party had won 81 seats and their ally 55. Five years later, the JD(U) had wrested 115 and the BJP 94. In 2015, however, Nitish broke ties with the BJP after Narendra Modi rose to the party's helm. The JD(U) had then won 71 seats, whereas, the then allies RJD and Congress secured victories in 80 and 27 seats, respectively.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 29, 2019 09:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).