Uncertainty plagues the opposition INDIA bloc as they race against time to finalize seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. The critical deadline for withdrawing nominations is fast approaching, and the bloc is embroiled in high-level discussions to resolve conflicts arising from multiple nominations filed by alliance partners in at least 11 constituencies.
The first phase of polling is set for November 6, covering 121 of the 243 seats. As of Sunday evening, a total of 1,375 nominations had been accepted. The Congress has announced candidates for 54 seats so far, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), though informally allocating its symbols, is yet to release its official list. Other key allies, including the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), Communist Party of India (Marxist–leninist) Liberation (CPI-ML), and the Communist Party of India (CPI), have fielded candidates on 15, 20, and 9 seats, respectively.
Sources indicate that the contentious seats include Lalganj, Vaishali, Rajapakar, Rosera, Biharsharif, Bachhwara, Tarapur, Kahalgaon, Chainpur, Gaura Bauram, and Kargahar. Seat-sharing talks for Kutumba are also ongoing, as both the RJD and Congress have fielded nominees. Notably, only seven of these contentious seats fall within the first phase of polling.
A senior opposition leader, preferring anonymity, stated, “Talks are going on among all partners –– the RJD, the Congress, the CPI and the VIP. There would be one round of talks among the allies on Sunday night to resolve the issue of duplicacy of nominations in several seats. If it’s resolved, there would not be any dispute over seats. If the talks fail, the possibility of allies contesting against each other in more than five seats cannot be ruled out.”
Specific seat-sharing conflicts have emerged in several areas. For instance, in Lalganj, the RJD’s Shivani Shukla faces off against Congress’s Aditya Kumar Raja. Vaishali sees an RJD vs. Congress contest with Ajay Kushwaha and Sanjeev Singh, respectively. Similar clashes are reported in Rajapakar, Rosera, Biharsharif, Bachhwara, Tarapur, Kahalgaon, and Kargahar, with candidates from different INDIA bloc parties filing nominations.
The CPI mentioned that one of its candidates from Rosera had their nomination rejected, and appealed to the Congress for better coordination. Meanwhile, in Gaura Bauram, the RJD had officially stated it would not field a candidate as part of its pact with the VIP, but an RJD nominee had still filed his papers and not withdrawn them by Sunday night, suggesting a potential “friendly contest.”
A senior Congress leader highlighted that the party has already allotted symbols to 59 candidates, with 54 declared. They are adopting a “wait and watch” approach for the Kutumba seat. The leader also noted that if the RJD fields a candidate from Kutumba, where the state Congress president is also contesting, it could lead to “friendly fights” in at least four seats between the RJD and Congress, as well as with other allies.
The Bihar Congress media department head, Rajesh Rathore, expressed confidence that these seat disputes would be resolved before the withdrawal deadline. The RJD, however, remains firm on its position, asserting that its candidates possess a higher winnability quotient and that the Congress should concede seats accordingly.