According to top sources, talks between Congress state in-charge Krishna Allavaru and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav have almost halted, worsening the situation. Meanwhile, RJD has partnered with Left parties to increase pressure on Congress, fielding candidates on ten seats that were reportedly allocated to Congress. Reports suggest that Congress’s state in-charge is internally upset over this development.
3 key reasons for RJD-Congress rift
1. Coordination failure on seat sharing
A national Congress leader revealed that Tejashwi Yadav wanted to reduce Congress’s seat count by 15-20 this time, offering only 50-55 seats to them. On the seats assigned to Congress, Tejashwi intended either to field RJD candidates or give them to the Left or VIP. His reasoning: in the last elections, Congress contested 70 seats but won only 19, showing a low success rate.
Congress, however, remained firm. Sources say Krishna Allavaru told Tejashwi that if seats were reduced, both parties’ shares would be cut proportionally. A 10% reduction in RJD’s seats would result in a 7-10% reduction for Congress. Allavaru insisted that Congress contest 61-65 seats regardless.
2. Attempts to Bypass Allavaru
Seven meetings were held in Patna to resolve seat-sharing, but none concluded. On 13 October, Tejashwi went to Delhi to meet Rahul Gandhi, hoping to settle disputes. Congress sources revealed that Rahul instructed him to first finalise seat-sharing with Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru or National General Secretary KC Venugopal before any further talks.
After meeting Venugopal, Tejashwi returned to Patna and began distributing symbols, angering the Lalu family over Congress’s stance.
3. Tejashwi’s demand for Congress seats
A senior state Congress leader stated that Tejashwi wanted eight to ten seats from Congress, including his sitting seats Maharajganj and Kutumba. He offered his Mohania seat to Rajesh Ram. Additionally, Tejashwi wanted Lalganj (Vaishali) for Shivani Shukla, daughter of strongman Munna Shukla, and Warsaliganj for Anita Devi, wife of Ashok Mahto. He also proposed swapping 3-4 seats with the Left, which Congress rejected. Consequently, both parties have now fielded their own candidates in these areas.
2 major factors blocking consensus
1. Ego clash between Tejashwi and Allavaru
The dispute is no longer just about seat allocation; ego is now central. Sources say RJD has repeatedly demanded Tejashwi be declared the CM candidate, but Congress, particularly Allavaru, insists the decision will be made post-election.
Congress is reportedly ready to declare Tejashwi as CM if RJD gives them 61 seats. Tejashwi, however, refuses to allocate more than 55 seats to Congress. This deadlock is considered the biggest reason behind the seat-sharing impasse.
2. VIP Chief Mukesh Sahani’s demands
Mukesh Sahani, leader of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), has also caused friction. Initially, he demanded 60 seats and the Deputy CM post. Negotiations reduced this to 15 seats by the last day of nominations, but he still insists on the Deputy CM position.
Sources say Tejashwi gave Sahani more seats to penetrate Nitish Kumar’s core EBC vote bank and field some candidates under the VIP symbol, but Congress blocked this plan. Reports indicate that, after intervention by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi, Sahani agreed to cooperate, with potential post-election rewards of one Rajya Sabha and one Legislative Council seat.
Internal Congress resentment
Discontent is also growing within Congress over ticket distribution, splitting the party into two factions: one supporting state in-charge Krishna Allavaru and state president Rajesh Ram, and another comprising senior leaders with long-standing political influence in Bihar.
The first protest came from senior Congress leader and Katihar MP Tariq Anwar, questioning the ticket allocations. He highlighted cases like former MLA Gajanan Shahi, who lost narrowly last time but was denied a ticket, while candidates who lost by over 30,000 votes were given another chance.
After Jamalpur MLA Ajay Kumar’s ticket was cut, supporters protested on social media, noting that Congress had won Jamalpur after 58 years, yet his ticket was denied. Similarly, the cutting of Khagaria MLA Chhatrapati Yadav’s ticket angered the faction that values Congress’s few successful Yadav candidates.
Party perspectives
CPI (ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya stated that seat-sharing is not final yet, but nominations are proceeding. He added that if coordination issues arise, they can be resolved before the withdrawal stage. He emphasised unity on Male’s seat, declaring no “friendly fights” will occur there.
The Mahagathbandhan faces multiple challenges ahead of the Bihar elections. Beyond seat-sharing disputes, personal egos, VIP demands, and internal Congress discontent have created an atmosphere of tension. While some resolutions may come before the withdrawal of nominations, the alliance’s cohesion remains fragile.
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