Patna: The Communist Party of India (CPI) says it will contest six out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in 2019, four seats less than what it was claiming in January.

The seats the party plans to contest include Begusarai, Madhubani, Motihari, Khagaria, Banka. The party will decide on the sixth seat - if it will be Gaya or Jamui - after reaching an agreement with all Left factions in the state.

"As far as seat distribution is concerned, efforts are on to achieve unanimity among all six Left parties," the party's state secretary Satya Narayan Singh said. "We'll make sure there is no friction, as all Left parties are united and determined to stop the saffron surge by defeating BJP in the state."

Amid efforts to consolidate all anti-BJP parties, Singh said: "The party will provide unconditional support to a prospective secular Janwadi Wam Morcha (a pre poll alliance comprising all anti-BJP parties) on the remaining 34 seats in Bihar. However he did not rule out the possibility of supporting the RJD and the Congress.

The Lok Sabha seats the party dropped with Monday's announcement are Bettiah, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Buxar and Jhanjharpur, while Gaya and Jamui were not been mentioned at the CPI national council meeting in January.

At the meeting a six-member delegation led by Singh took suggestions from the top party brass on the number of seats the party should contest.