Lagatar24 Desk
Patna: With less than a month left for the Bihar Assembly elections, both the NDA and the Grand Alliance remain mired in prolonged seat-sharing negotiations. Despite multiple rounds of meetings and frequent Delhi–Patna flights, neither bloc has reached a decisive agreement, delaying the launch of full-scale campaigning.
Grand Alliance Faces Internal Deadlock
The Congress-RJD alliance has struggled to bridge the divide over seat-sharing. The Congress, which contested 70 seats in 2020, is demanding at least 61–63 this time, while the RJD remains firm on keeping its share above 130 seats after winning 75 in the previous elections. Tensions flared when RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav distributed tickets to his chosen candidates in Tejashwi Yadav’s absence, angering Congress leaders. Smaller allies like Mukesh Sahni’s VIP and CPI(ML) are also making steep demands—VIP wants 40 seats and a deputy CM post, while CPI(ML) is seeking 35–40 seats, citing its strong 2020 performance.
NDA Shows Unity But Seat Disputes Simmer
While the NDA has announced its seat distribution—101 each for BJP and JD(U), 29 for LJP (Ram Vilas), and six each for RLM and HAM—disagreements over constituencies have surfaced. A planned NDA press conference was abruptly cancelled due to overlapping claims. Protests erupted outside Nitish Kumar’s residence over ticket allocations, and tensions between JD(U) and Chirag Paswan’s faction have resurfaced, especially over key seats like Sonbarsa and Rajgir. The BJP is trying to keep the alliance intact, wary of the damage Chirag caused by contesting separately in 2020, which reduced JD(U)’s seat tally.
