As Bihar Assembly elections approach, RJD and Congress intensify campaigns amid seat-sharing challenges.
NEW DELHI: As the Bihar Assembly elections approach, political activities in the state are gaining momentum, with both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), gearing up for the electoral battle. Key leaders from both alliances are making strategic moves to strengthen their positions. The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled to be held later this year.
A key ally of the Mahagathbandhan, RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, has already started his campaign. Earlier this week, he was spotted addressing a public meeting where he urged people to support the Mahagathbandhan to form a new government under the leadership of his son, Tejashwi Yadav. Lalu stressed that Tejashwi’s leadership is crucial in ensuring that women benefit from the Mai-Behan Samman Yojana.
Meanwhile, RJD’s alliance partners have also kicked off their campaigns. The Congress party has deployed Kanhaiya Kumar for the “Naukri Do Palayan Roko Yatra” to connect with the youth and address the issue of unemployment. Additionally, Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru has been travelling
However, the issue of seat-sharing within the Mahagathbandhan appears to be a challenging one. A source familiar with the matter informed The Sunday Guardian that Congress is under pressure to contest the election on RJD’s terms, especially given the results of the last election. Congress, on the other hand, has maintained that it was allocated predominantly unwinnable seats in the previous polls.
A source within RJD revealed to the publication that the party intends to offer Congress fewer seats than it did in the last Assembly elections. The source cited Congress’s poor performance in the 2020 elections as the reason behind this decision. Congress had contested 70 seats but managed to secure victory in only 19, a result that left RJD dissatisfied, as Tejashwi Yadav narrowly missed the opportunity to form the government by just a few seats. The source added that the current scenario is even less favourable for Congress, as the party has lost its grassroots presence, with its cadre scattered and lacking strong leadership to contest the elections effectively.
In the 2020 elections, RJD fielded candidates in 143 out of the 243 Assembly seats, while Congress contested 70. The CPI(ML) was allocated 19 seats, and the remaining 11 seats were given to CPI and CPM.
A senior RJD leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Sunday Guardian that RJD is planning to contest around 160 seats this time while allocating 55–60 seats to Congress, 15 seats to CPI(ML), and the remaining seats to other alliance partners.
RJD spokesperson Ejaz Ahmad confirmed to the newspaper that the party will contest the elections in coalition with Congress and CPI(ML) to take on the NDA. He emphasised that the Mahagathbandhan is an alliance based on ideology and mutual understanding, unlike the NDA, which, he claimed, unites only to exploit people. Addressing the seat-sharing concerns, Ahmad stated that senior leadership would decide the distribution of seats based on each party’s winnability.
Earlier this week, Congress leadership reaffirmed that it would contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections as part of the I.N.D.I.A bloc, dismissing any speculation about the alliance’s stability. This announcement came after a crucial meeting of Bihar Congress leaders in New Delhi, where preparations for the elections were reviewed, and strategies were formulated for the polls scheduled later this year.
Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru stated that the party was in “action mode” in the state.
“Congress’s priority right now is to reach out to the people and discuss key issues such as unemployment, law and order, healthcare, corruption, paper leaks, and education,” he said.
Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan also dismissed any concerns about the alliance, stating, “There is absolutely no issue with the alliance. We will contest the elections together as part of the I.N.D.I.A bloc. There is no confusion at all.”
However, a political analyst closely observing Bihar’s political landscape told The Sunday Guardian that there is a strong possibility of Congress contesting the elections independently. The analyst pointed to Congress’s recent decision to fight elections separately in Haryana and Delhi, suggesting that a similar move could be on the cards for Bihar. He further highlighted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to Patna, where he was seen criticising the caste survey initiated by the Grand Alliance—a significant initiative championed by Tejashwi Yadav.