NDA ally Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) on Monday proposed that its chief Upendra Kushwaha be projected as the alliance’s chief ministerial face in Bihar. It also asked the BJP to contest in 102 Assembly seats, leaving 74 and 67 seats for the LJP and itself respectively.

“We have proposed that our chief be projected as the NDA’s chief ministerial candidate for Bihar Assembly polls to bolster its electoral prospects,” the RLSP’s State unit president Arun Kumar told reporters. Kumar said his party’s suggestion to the BJP to contest 102 seats only was based on the fact that it had contested as many seats in the past two Assembly polls in alliance with the JD(U), which had fielded contestants in the remaining 141 seats.

Kushwaha said the delay by the BJP in deciding on the candidature is “harming” the alliance as the RJD-JD(U) combine has kicked off campaign under Nitish Kumar.

He further sought a quick decision from the BJP and said if it did not want to project any face, it should make an announcement so that “all kinds of statements” made by BJP leaders stop.