Thursday, January 20 2005 13:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) supremo Laloo Prasad today (Jan 20, 2005) said his party had reached a perfect seat-sharing agreement with the Congress a day after LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) announced withdrawal of its candidates from 15 seats going to poll in the first phase on February 3, where Congress has fielded its candidates.

Rubbishing the claim of LJP president and his cabinet colleague Ram Vilas Paswan about a poll-pact with the Congress, Laloo told a press conference after releasing his party's manifesto for the next month elections that according to the arrangement, both the RJD and Congress would not put up nominees against each other in the constituencies held by either side in the 2000 Assembly poll.

He said there was no official word available from the Congress confirming the seat-sharing deal with the LJP "and Paswan's claim in this regard is unilateral."

Paswan had in New Delhi yesterday (Jan 19, 2005) declared withdrawal of candidates following his talks with senior Congress leaders Arjun Singh, Ahmed Patel, Mohsina Kidwai, Harikesh Bahadur and M L Fotedar.