New Delhi: The ongoing seat-sharing negotiations in Bihar’s Opposition Mahagathbandhan have encountered a temporary stalemate, largely because of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) adopting a firm stance on its seat demands. And this in spite of both the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) showing the willingness to contest around 10% fewer seats than they did in the previous Assembly elections. Despite this conciliatory move to maintain the unity of the alliance, the Mahagathbandhan is finding it difficult to finalise a seat-sharing formula.
According to sources, several rounds of discussion were held last week, but no conclusive agreement was reached. A senior leader within the alliance informed The Sunday Guardian that the Mahagathbandhan is likely to finalise the seat-sharing formula within the next couple of days. Before the official announcement, a crucial meeting between Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi is expected to take place, following which the seat-sharing agreement is likely to be declared on October 14, Tuesday.
At present, the alliance faces a significant impasse stemming from differences between the VIP and the Left parties. Insiders revealed that the ongoing deliberations have become gridlocked over the demands of these two groups, both of which are seeking a higher share of seats than what the RJD is willing to give them. Despite leaders publicly asserting that unity within the Mahagathbandhan remains intact, the divergence in expectations has caused a visible deadlock.
As per information gathered from alliance sources, the VIP has demanded 30 to 35 seats, refusing to settle for anything below 30. Similarly, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation [CPI(ML)] has insisted on contesting at least 30 seats. The CPI(ML) leadership contends that if the VIP—an outfit without any sitting MLAs or MPs—can be considered for around 20 seats, then a party with 12 MLAs and 2 MPs deserves a larger allocation. In the previous election, the CPI(ML) had contested 19 constituencies and secured 12 victories. This time, it initially submitted a list of 34 constituencies, signalling its ambition for a greater electoral presence. Bihar has a total of 243 Assembly seats.
In addition to the CPI(ML), the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] have also pressed for a larger number of seats. The CPI has sought 24 constituencies, a considerable jump from the six seats it contested earlier, when it managed to win two. Similarly, the CPI(M) is pushing for more than the six seats it was allotted previously and has firmly refused to withdraw its claim over the Matihani Assembly seat in Begusarai district, which it regards as a key stronghold.
Meanwhile, the Congress, which emerged as the second-largest constituent of the alliance after the RJD in the 2020 polls, has shown flexibility this time. In the last election, the party contested 70 seats, but this time it has been asked to restrict its contest to 52 seats. Nonetheless, Congress leaders have indicated a willingness to compromise, agreeing to settle for around 58 to 60 seats. However, the VIP’s unwavering insistence on not accepting fewer than 30 seats has complicated the negotiations, prompting the Left parties to toughen their position as well.
During the last meeting of the Mahagathbandhan’s election committee, the RJD, led by Tejashwi Yadav, clarified its position, asserting that the party would not reduce its share below 134 seats. Having contested 144 constituencies in the 2020 Assembly elections, the RJD remains determined to retain its dominant share within the alliance. This leaves 109 seats to be distributed among the remaining allies—Congress, VIP, CPI(ML), CPI, and CPI(M).
As per the proposed seat-sharing formula currently under consideration, the RJD is expected to contest 134 seats, the Congress 60, the Left parties 25, and the VIP 20. In addition, Pashupati Paras’s LJP faction—Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party—and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) are likely to be allotted two seats each. However, despite a broad understanding emerging on paper, sources confirm that both the Congress and the RJD continue to have unresolved differences over finer aspects of the arrangement.
Mukesh Sahni, the founder of VIP, has downplayed speculation about friction within the alliance, stating that there are no significant disputes among partners regarding seat-sharing. “All alliance partners are united, and discussions are progressing in a positive and constructive atmosphere. Everything will be settled soon,” Sahni claimed.
Political observers note that the Mahagathbandhan leadership is making concerted efforts to project an image of unity and cohesion to counter any perception of internal rifts ahead of the state elections. Nonetheless, the current impasse highlights the difficulties of accommodating multiple allies, each with distinct regional bases and electoral ambitions, within the limited total of 243 Assembly constituencies.
Despite the delay in finalising the seat-sharing arrangement, alliance leaders remain optimistic that the Mahagathbandhan will soon reach a consensus. The much-anticipated meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav is expected to seal the final deal in the coming days. As election dates draw near—November 6 and 11—political observers are waiting to see how Tejashwi’s RJD navigates the complex web of competing demands and preserves the coalition’s fragile equilibrium heading into the polls. Notably, the Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled to take place in two phases—with polling in 121 constituencies on November 6, followed by the remaining 122 constituencies on November 11. The counting of votes will be conducted on November 14, while the tenure of the existing Assembly ends on November 22.
