Patna: The Grand Alliance on Saturday reached a broad agreement on seat-sharing for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections during a meeting at the residence of Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. The unplanned two-and-a-half-hour session brought together senior leaders, with Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram announcing afterwards that discussions on all 243 constituencies had taken place in a “cordial atmosphere.”
Ram indicated that Congress and other allies would contest from their areas of influence, but stressed that adjustments would be necessary compared to 2020, as two new entrants – Pashupati Paras’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) – have been accommodated. With their inclusion, the Grand Alliance now comprises eight parties, including RJD, Congress, Mukesh Sahni’s VIP, CPI-ML, CPI and CPI(M).
He dismissed reports of tension between RJD and Congress, saying the Voter Adhikar Yatra had boosted morale across the alliance. In the last assembly election, RJD had contested 144 seats, Congress 70, and Left parties 29, while VIP was not part of the bloc. This time, both RJD and Congress may need to cede ground to make way for the expanded coalition.
