Patna: As seat-sharing arrangements are finalized within the NDA for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, political speculation is mounting over the emergence of a third front in the state. Amid the ongoing tussle within the Grand Alliance, reports suggest efforts are underway to bring together AIMIM, RLJP, Janshakti Janata Dal, and Chandrashekhar Azad’s party to form an alternative force.
Sources indicate that AIMIM state president Akhtarul Iman and RLJP chief Pashupati Paras recently held a phone conversation to discuss the direction of the potential alliance, seat-sharing strategies, and a shared political agenda. Negotiations are also ongoing to include Tej Pratap Yadav’s Janshakti Janata Dal, with discussions reportedly considering him as the possible face of the new front.
Paras Rejects RJD Merger Offer
A meeting of the RLSP was held on Sunday, where Paras reportedly told party leaders that the Grand Alliance had offered only four seats to the RLSP, which he considered insufficient. Rumors of a merger with RJD were also rejected, with party leaders opposing both the merger and the idea of contesting all 243 seats. Paras stated that he would decide the party’s next course of action within a day or two.
Paras also informed his party members that contacts were ongoing with AIMIM and Chandrashekhar Azad’s parties, signaling the RLSP’s intention to explore a third-front alliance. Paras is expected to announce his decision by 18 October, the day after the last date for nominations for the first phase.
AIMIM’s Proposal to RJD Rejected
Ahead of the elections, AIMIM had formally offered to form an alliance with RJD. Akhtarul Iman wrote a letter to Lalu Yadav seeking inclusion in the Grand Alliance, but RJD reportedly did not respond. During his Seemanchal tour, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi commented on the issue, stating, “We sent a letter to Lalu Yadav, but his son says he didn’t receive it. If I went to someone’s house seeking blessings from the father, can the son claim he didn’t receive it?”
Third Front’s Historical Context
A third-front experiment was also attempted in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections. Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) fielded candidates in 99 seats but failed to secure a win. That front, the Grand Democratic Secular Front (GDSF), included the BSP, SJD, and other smaller parties.
This election cycle, Kushwaha’s party — now renamed Rashtriya Lok Morcha — is part of the NDA, which has already won six seats. Political observers note that the alignment of AIMIM, RLJP, and Tej Pratap Yadav’s Janshakti Janata Dal could create a new political force capable of influencing Bihar’s electoral dynamics.
