Patna: Tensions within the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) have deepened as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress continue to spar over seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Sources indicate that the RJD has capped Congress’s share at a maximum of 58 seats, while the Congress remains firm on contesting over 60.
The Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Congress met in Delhi on Tuesday and finalized names for 65 seats. Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram said the party’s candidates for most constituencies have been finalized and that an official announcement is expected later today.
According to Congress sources, the party has proposed that the RJD contest 138 seats, while the Left parties and the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) be allotted the remaining 40. The earlier CEC meeting had cleared 25 names, but 6–7 of those were revisited and reconfirmed.
Meanwhile, the CPI(ML) has released a list of 18 candidates, retaining most of its previous constituencies except Aurai, which the RJD is reportedly demanding. Of the 18 candidates, two are Muslims, five are from the Kushwaha community, four from the Ravidas community, two belong to extremely backward castes, and one is an upper-caste woman candidate.
The RJD has been actively distributing party symbols to its candidates. Late on Tuesday night, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad handed out symbols at Rabri Devi’s residence. Among the notable names, Osama Shahab — son of late RJD strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin — received the party symbol for Raghunathpur. Osama was seen leaving Rabri Devi’s residence in a car alongside Tejashwi Yadav.
Amid the deadlock, both the RJD and Congress, along with VIP, are expected to release their first lists of candidates today. However, the final seat-sharing agreement among the three partners is still pending, causing delays in announcements.
Sources within the alliance suggest that friction points remain in constituencies such as Kutumba, Ghosi, Matihani, Rajapakar, Kahalgaon, Phulwari, Paliganj, Bachhwara, Manjhi, and Tarari, where both the RJD and Congress are keen to field candidates.
In a show of confidence, RJD leader Mukesh Roshan, who has received the party symbol from Mahua, said he would win by a larger margin this time. When asked if he would contest against Tej Pratap Yadav, he simply folded his hands and smiled.
Dismissing reports of internal discord, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari asserted, “All is well within the Grand Alliance. We are united and fighting with full strength. Bihar is ready for a Tejashwi Yadav-led government. The NDA is crumbling from within — even leaders like Upendra Kushwaha, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Nitish Kumar are showing signs of frustration. This time, the people of Bihar will bid farewell to the NDA.”
As the Congress and RJD continue last-minute negotiations, all eyes are on how the alliance will balance ambition and arithmetic before the crucial polls.
