Bihar: The Bihar Grand Alliance faces direct contests on 11 constituencies among its own members after failing to finalize seat-sharing arrangements, exposing serious coordination failures just weeks before the first polling phase.
Internal Contest Breakdown
RJD and Congress will compete directly in six seats: Vaishali, Sikandra, Kahalgaon, Sultanganj, Narkatiaganj, and Warsaliganj. The CPI and Congress face each other in four constituencies: Bachhwara, Rajapakar, Bihar Sharif, and Karghar. Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party and RJD clash in Chainpur and Babubarhi.
The situation crystallized after RJD released its 143-candidate list Monday, including six seats where Congress had already fielded nominees.
Timeline Complications
Uncertainty may resolve by October 23, the withdrawal deadline for second-phase candidates. However, Bachhwara, Rajapakar, and Bihar Sharif—polling in the first phase—will definitively see internal opposition clashes, as their withdrawal deadline has passed.
Despite protracted meetings and back-channel negotiations, the Grand Alliance has not formally announced seat-sharing arrangements, even after the October 20 second-phase nomination deadline.
Family Feud Subplot
Mahua constituency will witness a high-stakes clash where RJD fielded Mukesh Raushan against Lalu Prasad’s estranged elder son Tej Pratap Yadav. Expelled from RJD earlier this year, Tej Pratap launched his own party, Janshakti Janata Dal, adding family drama to Bihar’s political tensions.
NDA Advantage Assessment
Political observers believe internal opposition contests could split votes, potentially benefiting the BJP-led NDA in several constituencies.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan emphasized Monday that Mahagathbandhan gave NDA a “walkover on many challenging seats.”
“I have never seen an election where such a big alliance is on the verge of a split. There can be a dispute over the choice of seats, but they have not been able to decide even the number of seats,” Paswan stated.
Dismissing opposition claims of “friendly fights,” he added: “There is nothing called friendly fight. Either you are friends or you are fighting against each other. If you are contesting polls against each other and targeting leaders, how can you expect this won’t have an impact in other seats?”
Strategic Implications
The disarray contrasts sharply with NDA’s relatively smooth seat distribution among BJP, JDU, and smaller allies, potentially undermining opposition unity messaging and vote consolidation efforts in the November 6 and 11 elections.
