Nitish denies rift over seat sharing in NDA in Bihar
Patna, June 11: In a bid to downplay reports of growing restlessness over seat sharing for the 2019 elections among the allies of the BJP-led NDA in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday denied any rift in the ruling alliance.
"There are no differences in the NDA... We are working together and will continue to work," said Nitish Kumar, who is president of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), here.
This is first time since the reports of growing differences among constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over seat sharing for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls surfaced that Nitish Kumar has publicly said that the NDA was united and there were no differences over seat sharing.
"Issues related to polls will be discussed at the time of polls," he said.
The Chief Minister blamed the media for creating and spreading news of differences in the ruling NDA in the state.
Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha last week demanded a decision on which party would contest how many seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, citing lack of coordination in the BJP-led NDA.
Soon after that the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said that it would not compromise on the seats held by it and supported the contention of Kushwaha.
Two senior JD-U leaders Pawan Verma and K.C. Tyagi claimed that Nitish Kumar would spearhead the NDA challenge next year and later other JD-U leaders said that the party would contest 25 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar as it contested in 2009 as an ally of the NDA.
The demand may spell trouble for the NDA in Bihar with regard to seat sharing, as the BJP is keen to play the "big brother" in the backdrop of its better-than-expected performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
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Middle East crisis: Oil prices cross $83 per barrel as Strait of Hormuz disruption hits supply
New Delhi: Global crude oil prices rose sharply on Thursday, crossing $83 per barrel, following Iran’s move to shut down the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Oil prices have increased by more than 2 per cent due to concerns over supply disruptions in the region, which is a key route for global energy shipments.
A sustained rise in crude prices could significantly affect India’s import bill. Government estimates indicate that an increase of $1 per barrel in crude oil prices for a full year could raise India’s import bill by around Rs 16,000 crore.
However, government sources said India remains in a relatively comfortable position in the short term. The country currently has crude oil reserves sufficient for about 25 days, along with an additional 25 days’ supply of petroleum products, including shipments already in transit to Indian ports.
India imports nearly 85 per cent of its crude oil requirements from the Middle East, with much of the supply traditionally passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes.
Officials said India has strengthened its energy security in recent years by diversifying its sources of crude oil imports. Supplies have increasingly been sourced from countries such as Russia, African nations and the United States, reducing dependence on Gulf routes.
As a result, a portion of India’s oil imports now bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.
India spent about $137 billion on crude oil imports in the financial year ending March 31, 2025. In the current financial year, from April 2025 to January 2026, the country spent approximately $100.4 billion to import 206.3 million tonnes of crude oil.
