The opposition INDIA bloc is navigating a period of uncertainty regarding seat-sharing arrangements as the deadline for withdrawing nominations for the Bihar assembly elections looms. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties are currently in intensive discussions to iron out discrepancies, particularly concerning multiple nominations filed by alliance partners in at least 11 seats.
With the withdrawal deadline set for 3 PM today for 121 out of 243 seats, the alliance’s ability to present a united front is being tested. Sources indicate that a total of 1,375 nominations have been accepted so far.
The Congress has announced candidates for 54 seats, while the RJD, though informally distributing symbols, is yet to release its final list. Other parties in the alliance, including the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), Communist Party of India (Marxist–leninist) Liberation (CPI-ML), and Communist Party of India (CPI), have put forward 15, 20, and 9 candidates respectively.
A significant sticking point appears to be the instances of multiple nominations from allied parties on seats such as Lalganj, Vaishali, Rajapakar, Rosera, Biharsharif, Bachhwara, Tarapur, Kahalgaon, Chainpur, Gaura Bauram, and Kargahar. The Kutumba seat also remains a subject of ongoing seat-sharing talks.
A senior leader from the opposition bloc, speaking anonymously, highlighted the critical nature of the ongoing talks: “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 constituencies are witnessing direct contests between INDIA bloc partners. For instance, in Lalganj, the RJD has nominated Shivani Shukla against the Congress’s Aditya Kumar Raja. Similarly, Vaishali sees an RJD nominee, Ajay Kushwaha, competing against the Congress’s Sanjeev Singh. In Rajapakar, the Congress has fielded Pratima Kumari against the CPI (ML) Liberation candidate Mohit Paswan.
The situation is similar in other seats like Rosera, Biharsharif, Bachhwara, Tarapur, Kahalgaon, and Chainpur, where candidates from different alliance partners are pitted against each other.
Adding to the complexity, the CPI’s state secretary, Ram Naresh Pandey, noted an issue with a rejected nomination from Rosera, urging the Congress to restore coordination for the alliance’s success. The RJD has officially stated it will not field a candidate for the Gaura Bauram seat as part of its agreement with the VIP, though an RJD nominee had already filed his papers and had not withdrawn them by Sunday night, hinting at a potential “friendly contest.”
Sources within the Congress suggest a cautious approach, with symbols allocated to 59 candidates and 54 names declared. The party is adopting a “wait and watch” policy for the Kutumba seat, where a friendly contest between the RJD and Congress could materialize if both parties field candidates.
The RJD maintains its position, emphasizing the higher winnability of its candidates and advocating for the Congress to concede seats accordingly. The coming hours are crucial for the INDIA bloc to resolve these internal disputes and present a unified front for the Bihar assembly elections.