Bihar Election 2025: Fresh twist in Mahagathbandhan deadlock as Congress questions 2020 seat-sharing formula

Congress and RJD are in the midst of finalising a seat-sharing arrangement for the Bihar elections. (File: PTI)

The tussle over seat-sharing within the Mahagathbandhan for the Bihar elections appears to have now assumed a new dimension with the Congress hardening its stand against the 2020 formula that saw the party contest 70 seats in the last Assembly elections.

The development adds a fresh twist in an ongoing wrangle over setting aside seats for smaller allies including the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLSP), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). The Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal were locked in a tussle over which side loses seats to accommodate these parties.

Reports suggest that the Congress does not wish to contest 37 of the 51 seats it lost in the 2020 elections. Of these 37 seats, 21 are ones which no Mahagathbandhan candidate was able to win in 2010 and 2015. Fifteen of them were bagged by the Janata Dal (United) in the 2015 election when it contested the elections in alliance with the RJD.

The list includes key constituencies such as Phulparas, Supaul, Bihariganj, Sonbarsa, Kusheshwar Asthan, Benipur, Kuchaykot, Vaishali, Beldaur, Harnaut, Sultanganj, Amarpur, Rajgir, Nalanda, and Tekari.

The Congress has included several assembly seats in its list where Dalits, Extremely Backward Classes, Upper Caste, and Muslim voters play a decisive role and discussions have been held on potential candidates as well.

In the 2020 elections, Congress contested 70 seats but managed to win only 19. Since then, two of its MLAs have defected, leaving the party with just 17 legislators. Citing its poor strike rate, the RJD has been pressuring Congress to contest fewer seats this time.

As the wrangle continues, possibilities of a way out are also likely to be discussed as the Congress, on its own, may find it difficult to draw much benefit in the state on its own. Among the likely consensus scenarios is one that could see Congress leaders abandon their plans to reclaim seats that it lost by a narrow margin.

On the other hand, RJD is also pushing to offload some of its own weak seats on to Congress. This could see both parties hand a few of these contentious constituencies to allies like RLJP, VIP and JMM, while also swapping a handful of seats among themselves.

Assembly elections in Bihar are due to be held in October-November this year. The Election Commission of India is set to publish the final electoral roll for Bihar on September 1 and the poll schedule may be announced soon after.