PATNA, June 27 -- Allies in both the alliances in Bihar - Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and the NDA -- have started putting pressure on major parties for getting a greater share of seats for the forthcoming assembly polls in Bihar. While the Grand Alliance smaller parties have started coming out with the numbers it want to contest in assembly polls, the NDA smaller alliances have started issuing statements for a better representation. The CPI, one of the constituents of the GA, on Thursday staked claim for 24 seats after CPI national general secretary D Raja along with party state secretary Ram Naresh Pandey and other leaders met Tejashwi Yadav at his official residence late on Wednesday night. Talking to media, about the meeting, Pandey said, "We want to contest elections on 24 seats in the Mahagathbandhan. We have handed over the list of 24 seats to Tejashwi Yadav. Our party has the highest vote transfer capability in the entire Mahagathbandhan. Our position is good on all 243 seats. In the 2020 assembly elections, CPI was given six seats in the Mahagathbandhan which was not respectable. We were not satisfied with that." Pandey said that CPI had won two out of six seats. "Even then we had done the maximum vote transfer. This time we want 24 seats. We will fight the election in Mahagathbandhan and Tejaswi is the CM face. In the meeting, there was discussion on election preparations and strategy," he said. Congress, on the other hand, has once again the Congress has staked claim on 90 seats. Congress, which contested 70 seats in the 2020 elections and won 19 seats, is claiming more seats this time to strengthen its position. The RJD, according to GA leaders, is claiming more than 150 seats, while the CPI (ML) has demanded 40-45 and the CPI more than 24 seats. THe other partner, VIP, too, had claimed 50-60 seats plus the deputy CM post. The GA comprises of RJD, Congress, Vikassheel Insan Party, CPI(ML), CPI, CPM. GA sources said on the lines of the seat sharing formula of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, seat sharing for the state polls can be done in the Mahagathbandhan. In the 2024 elections, of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, RJD got 23, Congress 9, Left 5 seats (CPIML 3, CPM 1, CPI 1) while VIP got 3 seats. The NDA is all set to witness rumblings once seat-sharing talks start after July. While Chirag Paswan-led LJP (RV) is seeing a bigger role for its party with Chirag himself announcing to contest assembly polls, Upendra Kushwaha-led RLM has sounded a warning to NDA major parties. At a public meeting recently, RLM chief and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha alluded to the fact that forces from within the NDA had jeopardised his Lok Sabha election from Karakat, leading to his loss from there. He warned that such sabotage from within would hurt those who were behind it as well. "If Upendra Kushwaha sinks, then you too shall sink, since we are on the same boat," he had said. Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi said the seat-sharing formula in the NDA for the Bihar polls would be decided around July-August. While stating that there was no dispute over seat distribution among the allies, Manjhi made it clear that his party was preparing for all 243 seats in the state. "There is no dispute in the NDA over seat sharing. Its formula will be finalised by July or August. All parties will get enough seats to contest. As far as our party is concerned, we are preparing for all 243 Assembly seats in the state," Manjhi had said. BJP leaders said the party is viewing statements by its Bihar partners in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as a sign that they are buckling down for a hard bargain in seat sharing ahead of the Assembly polls....