The 'grand alliance' of Opposition parties in Bihar announced a seat-sharing deal for the Lok Sabha elections on Friday, wherein Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will be contesting on 20 seats while the Congress will contest on nine.

The announcement was made by RJD spokesperson Manoj Kumar Jha at a press conference. Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party will fight for five seats and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) will contest on three, according to the arrangement.

While Mukesh Sahni’s Vikasheel Insaf Party (VIP) got three seats, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) of former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha has been allotted five seats.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation bagged one seat, which will come from the 20 constituencies allotted to the RJD.

Jha also announced that Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) leader Sharad Yadav will contest polls on an RJD ticket.

The announcement comes days after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, following a meeting with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, had said that the grand alliance is "intact" and its candidates for all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be announced after Holi.

"All is well in mahagathbandhan. It is intact and strong and we will put up a strong fight at the hustings. All differences have been ironed out. We will announce our candidates after Holi," Tejashwi had said.

Leaders of all alliance partners of the Mahagathbandhan, including BPCC president Madan Mohan Jha were present at the press conference. However top leaders like Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Upendra Kushwaha, Sharad Yadav and Jitan Ram Manjhi were conspicuous by their absence.

On being questioned about Tejashwi's absence, Jha told reporters, "Am I nothing in my party? You are making me insignificant? If format changes at the last moment, it's a party's decision. Do not question that."

Meanwhile, the NDA has already declared its seat-sharing agreement for the 40 seats. The BJP and JD(U) are contesting 17 seats each while the LJP has been given remaining six seats.