Patna: The third coordination meeting of Bihar’s Grand Alliance is underway in Patna on Sunday, with leaders of six constituent parties, including the RJD, Congress, and CPI(ML), convening at a resort on Digha-Ashiana Road. Branded the ‘इंडिया अलायंस संवाद कार्यक्रम,’ the closed-door meeting was a show of unity and resolve aimed at unseating the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
The gathering began on a sombre note, with a moment of silence observed in memory of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 27 lives.
Setting the tone for the discussion, senior RJD leader and former MP Mangani Lal Mandal sharply criticised the ruling government, stating: “रेप और अन्य अपराध बिहार में बढ़े हैं। हमें इस मुद्दे पर नीतीश कुमार को घेरना चाहिए। सरकार से अपराध पर सवाल पूछा जाना चाहिए।”
Among the key issues on the agenda were crime, regional equations, seat-sharing strategies, and ensuring social balance in ticket distribution. District presidents, MPs, and MLAs from the alliance parties attended the session.
VIP party chief Mukesh Sahni declared that the alliance’s single objective is to form the next government in Bihar. “”कहीं कोई कन्फ्यूजन नहीं है। जिसके पास वोट है, ताकत है, वही नेतृत्व करेगा।” he said, downplaying speculation over the chief ministerial face.
When asked about his own political aspirations, including the possibility of being Deputy CM, Sahni responded cautiously: “सब कुछ समय पर तय हो जाएगा।” He also launched a broadside against the Nitish government, accusing it of failure on key governance fronts.
CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya, meanwhile, dismissed talk of a CM face as premature, saying, “यह बातें चुनाव नतीजे आने के बाद तय होंगी।”
Congress Legislature Party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan emphasised the importance of strengthening grassroots coordination, saying, “ब्लॉक लेवल के नेताओं के साथ समन्वय करना और उसे मजबूत करना जरूरी है। इस बैठक का मकसद यही है। बिहार सरकार को हटाना वक्त की ज़रूरत है, और यह बैठक उसी प्रक्रिया का हिस्सा है।”
Echoing the sentiment, Congress MLA Pratima Das asserted that alliance unity was intact. “यह महागठबंधन के नेताओं और कार्यकर्ताओं की बैठक है। सब कुछ क्लियर है, और एक ही मुद्दा है—इस चुनाव में बीजेपी को हराना।”
