Patna: Leaders of Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan alliance are set to gather on Thursday morning at the residence of RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav in Patna, for a key meeting ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections. Scheduled for 11:30am, the meeting is expected to focus on finalising election strategies, seat-sharing arrangements, and possibly naming a consensus candidate for the chief ministerial post.
Sources within the alliance say discussions will also cover the launch of a joint campaign and the formulation of a common minimum programme, aimed at unifying messaging across parties. With the state headed to the polls later this year, pressure is mounting within the alliance to firm up decisions around grassroots coordination and potential new alliances.
One major point of discussion is a proposal from Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, which has reached out to RJD seeking an alliance. Talks may also consider whether to bring Pashupati Paras’ RLJP into the fold. Leaders are also expected to strategise around issues on which to corner the ruling state government. However, the alliance faces internal turbulence. While RJD has been pushing for Tejashwi Yadav as the face of the chief ministerial campaign, sources suggest the Congress remains non-committal. It remains to be seen whether Thursday’s deliberations will result in a formal declaration of Yadav as the CM candidate.
Seat-sharing friction emerges
The meeting comes against the backdrop of intensifying pressure from alliance partners seeking a larger slice of the electoral pie. CPI(ML) has demanded 45 seats, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) is asking for 60, while the Congress reportedly wants no fewer than 70 — the same number it contested in 2020. This growing demand is placing strain on RJD, the largest party in the bloc, to strike a balance.
Leaders from across the Mahagathbandhan will be present, including RJD’s Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Sanjay Yadav, Alok Mehta and Ranvijay Sahu; Congress’ Rajesh Ram, Krishna Allavaru, Shakeel Ahmed Khan and Dr. Madan Mohan Jha; CPI(ML)’s Kunal, Dhirendra Jha and Rajaram Singh; CPM’s Lalan Chaudhary, Ajay Kumar and Awadhesh Kumar; CPI’s Ramnaresh Pandey, Rambabu Kumar and Ajay Kumar Singh; and VIP’s Mukesh Sahni. Members of the alliance’s Coordination Committee and its various sub-committees are also expected to attend the session, marking the fourth such joint meeting in recent months.
