Why was the RJD not consulted when the Congress and JMM finalised their seat-sharing agreement for Jharkhand?
A. In accordance with the agreement, the Congress will contest 33 seats and the JMM 35 out of the total 81 Assembly seats in the state. Nine seats have been left for the RJD as the party has as many sitting MLAs. Two seats have been left for the CPI and the remaining two may also be given to the Left parties. The RJD has limited support base in the state, but it has been given its due. Q. With RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and the Left parties miffed at their not being consulted over the seat allocation in Jharkhand, will you rework the arrangement? A. Seat allocation has been done after due consideration. We have recognised the claims of Mr Lalu Prasads party. The seats were distributed on the basis of the winnability factor. Politics is a game of tolerance and everyone should be tolerant. Our collective aim is to defeat the BJP and its allies. Q. Will your chances in Jharkhand be affected if the RJD and the Left contest separately and do not join your alliance? A. Some division of votes wi
