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Patna, Oct 17 (IANS) As the deadline for filing nominations for the first phase of Bihar assembly elections approaches, the Grand Alliance is struggling over its seat-sharing arrangement, raising serious doubts over its unity and coordination. It seems that the Grand Alliance has reached breaking point.
Despite repeated claims of unity, the alliance – comprising RJD, Congress, CPI-ML, CPI, CPI(M), and VIP – exists only on paper, with each party giving priority to its own interests.
While many parties have already announced candidates and distributed symbols for nomination, there is no clarity on the exact seat distribution, leaving workers and supporters in confusion.
According to sources, Congress’s insistence on contesting elections on 70 seats has become the main obstacle.
In the 2020 assembly elections, the Congress contested the same number of seats but managed to win only 19 seats with a strike rate of 27 per cent, a performance widely attributed to the alliance falling short of the majority mark of 122 seats required to form the government.
This time, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav is reportedly not willing to repeat the same mistake. He wants Congress to contest elections on fewer seats, whereas the oldest party is adamant on maintaining its claim of 70 seats.
Key Grand Alliance leaders including Tejashwi Yadav, Dipankar Bhattacharya and Mukesh Sahni held several rounds of talks with Congress leaders in Delhi to finalize the seat-sharing formula. However, even after several days of discussion, no consensus could be reached.
Tejashwi Yadav and Mukesh Sahni reportedly waited till the last moment on Thursday (October 16), but the formula remained unresolved.
Mukesh Sahni-led Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) emerged as another big challenge.
Initially demanding 60 seats and the post of a Deputy Chief Minister, Sahni reduced his demand first to 30 and later to 18 seats.
On Thursday, sources said the RJD has agreed to give 15 seats to VIPs along with assurance of two MLC berths and one Rajya Sabha seat.
The lack of consensus and coordination has dealt a major blow to the story of unity of the Grand Alliance.
While the alliance had shown solidarity during the Voters’ Rights March led by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, that spirit appears to be missing during the crucial phase of seat-sharing.
The alliance has so far avoided holding any joint press conference to present a united front ahead of the high-stakes election.
The confusion was further heightened when VIP chief Mukesh Sahni’s scheduled press conference on Thursday – initially scheduled for 12 noon, then scheduled for 4 pm and finally canceled – led to intense speculation in political circles.
VIP supporters in many districts have demanded immediate clarity from the party leadership regarding seat allocation.
Political observers believe that the seat-sharing impasse could cause serious electoral damage to the Grand Alliance, which was expected to present a united alternative to the ruling NDA in Bihar.
Analysts said the Grand Alliance constituents – RJD, Congress, CPI-ML, CPI, CPI(M), and VIP – are displaying overambitious seat demands, ignoring their actual strength on the ground.
Patna-based political analyst Sarvodaya Nath said, “Everyone knows that the Congress has lost significant ground in Bihar. It largely depends on the RJD’s Muslim and Yadav vote bank. The Congress wants to capitalize on that base, but delaying the seat-sharing agreement till the last day of nominations has sent the wrong signal among the voters.”
“They have wasted five to six crucial days since the Election Commission’s notification. This delay reflects poor coordination within the alliance,” he said.
Nath further pointed out that the differences between RJD and Congress were visible during the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, when Tejashwi Yadav publicly declared Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate of India Bloc, but no Congress leader including Rahul Gandhi supported Tejashwi as the Chief Ministerial candidate of Bihar.
Nath said, “At present, RJD, CPI-ML, CPI, CPI(M), and VIP are united to project Tejashwi Yadav as the CM face of the grand alliance. However, Congress appears to be isolated. It would not be surprising if Congress leaders refrain from participating in the joint campaign in this election.”
While on one hand the Grand Alliance is struggling with discord, on the other hand the NDA led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is presenting an image of unity.
Despite minor disagreements involving Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha, the NDA immediately finalized its seat-sharing agreement and launched a coordinated campaign across the state.
Political experts believe that this sharp contradiction could benefit the NDA during the crucial campaign phase.
Meanwhile, Congress has released its first list of 48 candidates and the second list is also expected to be released soon.
The Election Commission had issued notification on October 10 for the first and second phase of Bihar Assembly elections.
The last date for filing nominations for the first phase is October 17 and for the second phase is October 20.
Elections will be held on 6 and 11 November and the results will be declared on 14 November.
With the nomination window for the first phase closing soon, the Grand Alliance’s indecision has put its coordination, credibility and campaign preparation under serious question.
–IANS
AJK/UK