The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress — key allies in Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) — are close to finalising their seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Assembly elections.
As per reports, the RJD is likely to retain most of the 144 seats it contested in the 2020 elections. The Congress, on the other hand, which had contested 70 seats last time, may have to settle for fewer — possibly between 50 to 60 seats.
In the 2020 elections:
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RJD contested 144 seats and won 75.
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Congress contested 70 seats but won only 19.
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Left parties (CPI(ML), CPI, CPI(M)) contested 19, 6, and 4 seats respectively. Among them, the CPI(ML) performed best, winning 12 out of 19.
RJD leaders argue that while it’s natural for Congress to want the same number of seats as before, the alliance now includes new partners like Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and Pashupati Kumar Paras’s Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), who also need to be given some seats.
One RJD leader mentioned that although Congress is the second-largest partner in the alliance, it should be willing to compromise. The RJD is aiming to contest at least 135–140 seats, hoping to form the next government.
Another RJD insider suggested the Congress might ultimately agree to 58–60 seats. The RJD also rejected the idea that giving too many seats to the Congress last time was the reason the alliance didn’t win the majority, stating those were not strong seats anyway.
Meanwhile:
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VIP’s Mukesh Sahni, who is demanding 60 seats, may be offered around 12. He had won 4 out of 11 seats in 2020 as part of the NDA.
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Pashupati Paras (formerly with NDA) may get 2–3 seats in the alliance.
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Left parties are also requesting more seats this time due to their improved past performance.
However, the RJD has made it clear it will not include Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM in the alliance, fearing it could hurt their prospects in other parts of Bihar, even if it helps in the Seemanchal region. AIMIM had won 5 seats in 2020, but 4 of its MLAs later joined the RJD.
