Bihar Assembly poll: We can form a government on our own, says Union Minister RK Singh

New Delhi: Union Minister RK Singh on Friday (September 4) said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (NJP) is capable of forming government of its own in Bihar, but his party does not want to break its partnership with the Janata Dal (United). 

RK Singh, which is the Lok Sabha MP from Arrah, told ANI, "We can form a government on our own in Bihar, there's no doubt in it. But, we've been in partnership with the JDU since 1996, and we do not want to break it, neither do they. We don't leave our friends."

The Union Power Minister further said, "Our seat share will be decided soon. The process will be finished smoothly as there are no differences among us... Lok Sabha Poll results have clearly displayed the vote base of BJP and PM Modi. Hence, the seat division should be based on that only."

With just a few months to go for the Bihar Assembly Election, RK Singh's statement came in the backdrop of recent tensions between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and the Chirag Paswan led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). 

Earlier on Wednesday, former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) joined the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which currently consists of the BJP, JD(U) and LJP.

The BJP and JD(U) came together to form government in the state in July 2017 after the collapse of the then-ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission said today that the pending by-election to one Lok Sabha and 64 assembly seats spread across 15 states and the Bihar assembly polls will be held "around the same time".

The EC said, "Considering that General Assembly Elections of Bihar are also due and required to be completed before November 29, 2020, the Commission has decided to conduct all the 65 by-elections and the General Assembly Elections of Bihar around the same time."

"Announcement of schedule of Bihar General Assembly Elections as well as these by-elections will be done by the Commission at appropriate time," it added. 

Notably, the term of the Bihar assembly ends on November 29 and elections are likely to be held sometime in October-November.