I.N.D.I.A. Bloc Yet to Seal Deal on Seats

 New Delhi: While the NDA juggernaut rolls on, differences simmer in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc as a seat-sharing deal continues to elude the opposition bloc. Though in principle an alliance is in effect, there are at least five constituencies in which friendly fights are taking place; these include Bachwara, Lalganj, Jhanjharpur, Rosra and Vaishali.

The Mahagathbandhan stalemate continues as smaller parties are still clamouring for more seats in the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls. The seat-sharing negotiation is stuck due to the Mukesh Sahni-led Vikassheel Insaan Party's (VIP) demand for 25 seats. Sources, however, said the RJD and the VIP have now reached an agreement under which Mr Sahani's party will contest 15 Assembly seats and get an MLC position.

Sahani, who initially demanded 60 seats and the deputy chief minister's post, had later scaled down his demand to 30 seats. The VIP chief announced that he will not contest the Assembly elections. He was set to contest from the Gaura-Bauram Assembly seat in Darbhanga. However, his younger brother, Santosh Sahani, filed the nomination for the seat today.

"I have decided not to contest this Assembly election. My focus will be on ensuring the victory of our candidates and strengthening the party's presence everywhere in Bihar," Sahani said after attending his brother's nomination in Darbhanga.

As per the internal I.N.D.I.A. bloc understanding, the Congress gets 61 seats, out of which it will vacate 2 seats to the IP party. Left parties get 30 seats and the RJD 135 seats to contest.

Meanwhile, dissatisfied with the seats allocation, Pashupati Kumar Paras announced the RLJP's exit from the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. He is exploring options with AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi.

The Congress on Friday declared former MLA Rishi Mishra, who had quit the party three years ago to join the RJD, as its candidate from the Jale constituency in Darbhanga district.

According to I.N.D.I.A. bloc sources, the decision to field an RJD leader on a Congress ticket from Jale has come as a "compromise deal" between the two alliance partners, which have been at loggerheads ever since elections were announced, resulting in the coalition's inability to announce a seat-sharing formula.

The sources also said that the Congress' original choice for the seat, Mohd Naushad, was dropped because of the controversy that arose a few months ago when expletives were hurled against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from a podium he had erected to welcome the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who was passing by as part of "Voter Adhikar Yatra".

After the Congress released its list of 49 candidates, senior Congress leader Tariq Anwar expressed his displeasure. He questioned the party’s decisions. Anwar said that someone who lost by more than 30,000 votes has been given a ticket again, but a candidate who lost by only 113 votes has been denied the ticket.

“Former MLA Gajanand Shahi lost the last Assembly election by just 113 votes. This time, his ticket has been cut. On the other hand, a candidate who lost by more than 30,000 votes has been given another chance,” Anwar posted on X.

Out of the 243 seats in Bihar, 121 will go to polls on November 6. The remaining 122 seats will go to polls on November 11. The last date of nomination for the phase one election ended on 17 October, Friday, while the last date of nominations for phase two will end on Monday, October 20.