Patna: With the Bihar Assembly elections looming, internal frictions within the state’s opposition Grand Alliance have begun to intensify—particularly over the contentious issue of seat-sharing. At the centre of the storm are Congress and the Left parties, both accused by observers of attempting to leverage Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) established electoral turf for their own political gains.
According to political analysts tracking the developments, the primary flashpoint lies in the Congress party’s demand for 20 to 22 seats currently considered RJD strongholds—predominantly in constituencies with significant Yadav and Muslim populations, two communities seen as the bedrock of RJD’s support base. Congress is reportedly banking on the assumption that RJD’s cadre vote will seamlessly transfer to Mahagathbandhan candidates, thereby boosting its electoral prospects in the absence of a strong grassroots presence of its own.
The Left parties have also staked their claim on a number of seats traditionally held by RJD, focusing particularly on constituencies in the Magadh region. This jockeying for influence has further complicated the alliance’s internal negotiations, pushing the matter towards the top leadership of both parties—Sonia Gandhi of the Congress and Lalu Prasad Yadav of the RJD.
The Congress has particularly targeted seats in the Mithila and Seemanchal regions, while the Left is lobbying hard for its preferred constituencies in central Bihar. Sources suggest that a committee led by Tejashwi Yadav, RJD leader and Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, has been tasked with mediating the disputes and finalising the seat-sharing arrangements.
“There is a clear compulsion for Congress,” a Patna-based political analyst noted. “Without a loyal cadre base of its own, the party is relying heavily on borrowed strength—seeking seats where votes are more likely to consolidate in its favour thanks to the alliance.”
As per informal discussions within the coalition, each constituent party has submitted its wish list of seats, with the understanding that smaller allies like the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) will be accommodated through mutual concessions. However, a formal announcement regarding exact seat allocations remains pending.
The seat-sharing formula being considered draws heavily from the last Lok Sabha elections. Parties that contested a particular parliamentary seat may now be fielded in the assembly segments that fall under that constituency. While both RJD and Congress are believed to be open to this model, Left parties may receive minor concessions to maintain alliance cohesion.
