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The Opposition’s INDIA bloc, also known as the Mahagathbandhan, has finalized its seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the leading constituent of the alliance, secured 26 seats, including prominent constituencies like Purnea and Hajipur. Meanwhile, the Congress will contest on nine seats, including Kishanganj and Patna Sahib, with the Left fighting on five seats.
The allocation of seats, however, faced a hiccup over the Purnea and Katihar constituencies, currently held by the Janata Dal (United). These seats became a sticking point in the negotiations between the RJD and the Congress. Notably, the Congress relinquished its claim over the Purnea Lok Sabha seat, which was eyed by recent entrant Pappu Yadav. Despite claims of assurance from Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, the seat will now be contested by the RJD, which nominated JD(U) defector Bima Bharti.
The announcement of the Mahagathbandhan’s seat-sharing agreement comes hot on the heels of the conclusion of nomination filings for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls. However, the RJD’s decision to field candidates in all four seats up for grabs in the initial phase has stirred discontent among allies, who perceive it as a unilateral move.
Although the Mahagathbandhan press conference in Patna was expected to feature RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, his absence raised eyebrows. Instead, RJD national spokesman Manoj Jha addressed the media, assuring that candidate names for remaining seats would be disclosed shortly.
The announcement follows Tejashwi Yadav’s earlier assertion of a harmonious understanding between the RJD, Congress, and Left regarding seat sharing. Yadav, who attended an INDIA bloc meeting at Congress leader Mukul Wasnik’s residence, emphasized the alliance’s unity and equitable distribution of seats. His statements sought to quell speculations of discord within the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance in Bihar over seat sharing.
