Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on Thursday met Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan in New Delhi to finalise details related to their alliance and possibly sharing of seats.
BJP leaders Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Shahnawaz Hussain went to Paswan's residence where they were received by his son Chirag Paswan, who is strongly batting for the tie-up.
Significantly, the meeting took place on a day BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is in New Delhi and there was speculation that Paswan would meet him.
Modi held a separate meeting with BJP chief Rajnath Singh.
The meeting came a day after LJP gave clear hints about allying with BJP after their Parliamentary Board meeting.
To a question whether LJP will tie-up with BJP, Chirag Paswan had said that "all options are now open for the LJP".
"LJP Parliamentary Board has passed a resolution that all steps, even if they are strong ones, should be taken in the interest of the party and if an alternative alliance is to be firmed up, party chief Ram Vilas Paswan should take the decision", said Chirag Paswan, who heads the Parliamentary Board.
BJP leaders had also said on Wednesday that the talks on alliance were at an advanced stage.
Sources said the two parties are engaged in negotiations over the sharing of seats in Bihar.
Prasad later said the meeting was "good" and they had shared "sweets".
He praised Paswan, saying he is a "senior" leader not only of Bihar but the entire country.
"We have worked together during Atal Bihari Vajpayee government," the BJP leader recalled.
Paswan's brother Ram Chandra Paswan said the "distance between BJP and LJP has come to an end on poll alliance" in Bihar.
