Bihar elections: Seat pact still elusive, Mahagathbandhan at odds on CM face as well?

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav

After rounds of endless negotiations, the main opposition Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) in Bihar was unable to finalise its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming assembly elections. If the lack of consensus on seat-sharing wasn't a major hurdle going ahead, the bloc reportedly has another major electioneering test --

Tejashwi Yadav’s projection as CM face.

While a few leaders in Bihar Congress have reportedly stated that the RJD leader is the CM face, the collective official weight of a Congress declaration is conspicuously missing.

The bloc - comprising RJD, Congress, CPI, CPM, CPI(ML)-L, and VIP - has yet to formally announce the seat distribution, and reports suggest that at least eight constituencies will see alliance partners fielding rival candidates. The "friendly fights" have led to bad optics. The challenge of putting up a united front may stiffen if Congress, CPI-ML don't acquiesce to RJD's demand to project Tejashwi as CM candidate.

Despite such assurances, clashes among partners are evident. In Lalganj, RJD has fielded Shivani Shukla, daughter of Munna Shukla, while Congress has nominated Aditya Kumar Raja. In Vaishali, RJD's Ajay Kushwaha is up against Congress's Sanjeev Kumar. Other contests include Tarapur (RJD's Arun Shah vs VIP's Sakaldev Bind), Bachhwara (CPI's Awadhesh Rai vs Congress's Garib Das), and Gaura Bauram (RJD's Afzal Ali vs VIP's Santosh Sahani).

Congress leaders have called for early clarity on chief ministerial candidates for all alliances. On being asked if Tejashwi Yadav should be declared Mahagathbandhan CM candidate in Bihar, MP Tariq Anwar from Katihar said, "I think there is no harm in doing it."

He echoed Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh's view, urging both the Mahagathbandhan and the NDA to clarify their CM candidates promptly. "I think both the NDA and our alliance should make things clear on CM candidature and tell what they intend to do in future," Anwar said. While opposition leaders are signalling support for Tejashwi, the NDA has reiterated that incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will remain the face of its alliance in the Bihar elections.

Meanwhile, the ruling NDA has already finalised its seat distribution: BJP and JD(U) will contest 101 seats each. Other allies have been allotted seats, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) will contest six seats each, and Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has been allocated 29 seats.

However, amidst the ongoing seat-sharing crisis within the Mahagathbandhan, Congress leader Pawan Khera on Saturday said that everything has been finalised and an announcement will be made at the right time. "Everything has been finalised, only the announcement has to be made, which will be made at the right time," Pawan Khera told reporters.