Patna, July 13: The BJP-led NDA and the alliance between the JDU, RJD, Congress and NCP appear to have different strategies with regard to seat-sharing ahead of the Assembly elections.

The polls are expected in September-October this year.

BJP sources said they were in no hurry to finalise the seats NDA constituents - LJP, RLSP and Jitan Ram Manjhi's yet-to-be-recognised Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular (HAMS) - would fight.

"Seat-sharing talks generally go on for long, given that every constituent wants a good share of seats," a senior BJP leader who played a major role in finding new allies after the JDU walked out of NDA in 2013, told The Telegraph.

He indicated that delay in seat-sharing talks was part of the NDA's strategy to wait till there was clarity on which candidates and constituents of the other alliance are likely to contest from which seat. "We want to select our candidates in a way that we can beat our opponents who play the caste card," said the BJP leader.

Another senior BJP leader, in organisational work, pointed at likely delay because there were many seats on which more than one NDA constituent is likely to stake claim. "It is a very tricky situation, as far as these seats are concerned, and we think only central leaders can take a final call," he said, adding that seat-sharing issue was likely to be finalised by August-end.

The BJP can afford to delay talks, as its alliance partners are in no hurry. Sources in the LJP and HAMS agreed on condition of anonymity. RLSP state unit president, Jehanabad MP Arun Kumar, said: "Ours is a natural alliance. There is no hurry. Seat-sharing talks would take place at an opportune time." Sources hinted it could take place during BJP president Amit Shah's proposed visit to Patna on July 15. Detailed deliberations would start after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on July 25.

The scene is totally different in the other camp. Informal seat-sharing talks have begun and formal negotiations would commence soon. "An informal discussion between Nitish and Lalu on seat-sharing took place during an iftar party Nitish hosted on July 11," a JDU source said.

Asked about the party's stand on seat-sharing, JDU national general secretary K.C. Tyagi said the same would commence once Nitish returns after taking part in the Niti Ayog meeting in Delhi on July 15. "We aim to finalise it by first week of August so our leaders can launch a joint political campaign," Tyagi said.

A source in the RJD said they were in a hurry, as alliance leaders want to give party workers some time to develop ground-level coordination. "Lack of it did hurt our cause during Council elections and we don't want to take any chances this time," he said.

The Congress, too, is pressing for early talks, as the party state unit wants to organise its central leaders' programmes here only after seat-sharing is finalised. "Rahul ji plans to hold a series of meetings in Bihar, but we have urged him to finalise the dates after seat-sharing is finalised. We can decide meeting venues accordingly," a senior Congress leader said.