Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stressed the importance of finalising seat-sharing arrangements by January during the recent INDIA bloc meeting, according to a key aide on Friday, stated a PTI report. 

Sanjay Kumar Jha, the JD(U) national general secretary who attended the Delhi meeting with Kumar on December 19, briefed reporters at the party office in Patna.

“Nitish Kumar expressed the view that seat sharing should be complete by January. After that all parties should come out with a common minimum programme since to challenge the current regime we must have a counter-narrative, and plunge into the campaign,” said Jha, a close aide of the Bihar CM, who holds key portfolios in the state government.

Jha, on the other hand, dismissed reports that Kumar was upset about not being named INDIA`s convener. He clarified that the meeting was held amicably, with only selected leaders designated for media briefings, refuting inaccurate claims in some media outlets.

“As someone who was present at the nearly three and a half hours long meeting, I can say with authenticity that all the deliberations took place in a cordial atmosphere. It was decided that only a few leaders brief the media. We are appalled at the misleading reports. There is no truth in the speculations that Nitish Kumar wanted to be named as the convener”, Jha told PTI.

“We are confident that the proposed deadline of January, for seat-sharing, will be met in Bihar. We face no hurdles here. We wish the same happens nationally though all states have different dynamics,” Jha said responding to a query, according to the PTI report. 

In response to questions about the JD(U)`s upcoming national executive and national council meetings in Delhi, Jha described them as routine, mandated by the party constitution at regular intervals. “It is routine. The party constitution calls for such meetings after a certain period of time. So these were due. Such meetings have been held as per schedule in the past, sometimes in Patna, and sometimes in Delhi. There is nothing unusual,” he said. 

He denied rumours of a replacement for national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh “Lalan,” stating that such a proposal was never considered.

With PTI inputs

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