The seat-sharing formula for the INDIA bloc for the Bihar Assembly elections has reportedly been finalised. Sources indicate that the 'Mahagathbandhan' may hold a press conference in Patna today to announce the allocation officially. According to insiders, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is expected to play the role of the "senior partner" in the alliance while the Congress is appearing to comprise with just 55-57 seats and giving up all the seats in Patna district.
Bihar elections: Mahagathbandhan seat-sharing formula
The proposed seat-sharing arrangement reportedly allocates 125 seats to the RJD, 55 to 57 seats to the Congress, 35 seats to the Left parties, 20 seats to Mukesh Sahni’s VIP party, three seats to Pashupati Paras, and two seats to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). However, differences remain between the Congress and RJD regarding the exact distribution, even though leaders of both parties claim that everything has been finalised.
Contention between Congress, RJD over seat sharing
The main point of contention between the Congress and the RJD is the number of seats allocated to the Congress. The Congress is reportedly demanding 78 seats, while RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is reportedly willing to offer only 48 seats. A compromise of around 55 seats is expected to be reached between the two parties.
Congress’ seat categorisation strategy
This time, the Congress has categorised its seat demands into three groups based on previous election margins:
- Category A: Seats lost by a margin of 5,000 to 10,000 votes
- Category B: Seats lost by 10,000 to 15,000 votes
- Category C: Seats lost by 15,000 to 20,000 votes
The Congress appears prepared to forego some of its traditional seats in the Bihar polls. For instance, in Patna district, the party had contested four seats in the previous election but is reportedly not claiming any this time. In addition, several seats previously held by the Congress may now go to the RJD. These include Sur Sand in Sitamarhi, Jale and Chainpur in Darbhanga, and Raja Pakar in Vaishali. In Raja Pakar, the sitting Congress MLA is Pratima Singh, but RJD reportedly wants to field Shivchandra Ram as its candidate.
JMM enters into fray
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is also expected to contest in Bihar, focusing on areas bordering Jharkhand. Sources suggest that the party may get two seats in the seat-sharing arrangement, although its demand is reportedly higher.
Following the announcement of the Bihar Assembly election dates, political activity has intensified in the state. On October 8, the Congress will hold its first virtual meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) to finalise candidates for the state polls. The meeting is expected to approve the party’s first list of candidates. This will mark the first time the Congress CEC meeting is held virtually.
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