All is not well in the Grand Alliance… RJD, Congress, and CPI face off in the election, an open battle
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The deadlock over seat-sharing within the opposition “All India Alliance” for the Bihar Assembly elections has now become a “friendly contest.” Following the release of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)’s list of 143 candidates, the alliance’s key constituents, the RJD, Congress, and CPI, appear to be pitted against each other on at least nine seats.
With the RJD fielding candidates in 143 seats and the Congress preparing to contest approximately 65, it’s clear that there hasn’t been a complete consensus within the alliance on the number of seats.
RJD vs. Congress: A Direct Contest on Five Seats
Following the RJD’s list, a direct contest has emerged between the Congress and RJD on five seats. This comes despite the RJD, in keeping with the alliance’s decorum, not fielding a candidate against Congress state president Rajesh Ram, in seats where the Congress and RJD are expected to contest.
- Narkatiaganj (West Champaran)
- Kahlgaon (Bhagalpur)
- Sultanganj (Bhagalpur)
- Lalganj (Vaishali)
- Vaishali (Vaishali)
All these seats are a concern for the alliance’s strategy, as vote division in these seats could directly benefit the NDA camp.
Congress vs. CPI: Conflict with Left Parties
Not only with the RJD, Congress is also facing off with the Left party CPI. The two alliance partners are facing off in at least four seats.
- Bachhwara (Begusarai)
- Rosera (Samastipur)
- Rajapakad (Vaishali)
- Bihar Sharif (Nalanda)
