On the table: The Congress and the RJD have not yet settled the division of seats between themselves. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) leaders will meet in Delhi to finalise the seat-sharing deal for the Bihar Assembly election on Monday (October 13, 2025). Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is likely to meet Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has already stolen a march over the grand alliance by announcing its seat-sharing formula. The Mahagathbandhan is still dogged by several niggling troubles and dissensions.
Mr. Sahani, while leaving for Delhi, told reporters at the Patna airport that the grand alliance is “unwell” and that all the “doctors” are sitting in Delhi, and therefore he is leaving for the national capital to find a “cure” for the coalition’s illness. “I will return once it is well,” he said.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi Yadav also arrived in Delhi on Sunday (October 11, 2025). The family is set to attend the hearing at Rouse Avenue Court in a case related to the land-for-jobs scam on Monday. The court had reserved its verdict after hearing arguments and examining evidence on August 25, 2025, and set the next hearing date for October 13. It had directed all the accused, including Mr. Prasad, Ms. Rabri, and Mr. Tejashwi, to appear in person.
Mr. Sahani articulated the unease that other allies are feeling in the INDIA bloc. The CPI(ML) is unhappy that RJD, the senior partner in the coalition, has not paid heed to its demand for increasing its seat share from 19 seats that it fought in 2020. So far, the RJD has cleared 18 of the 19 seats that the CPI(ML) contested in 2020 and discussions are on for another four to five seats which the RJD is not willing to spare.
“We are hoping to get clarity in a day or two,” CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said. The other left partners – CPI and CPI(M) – have not been offered any incentives either. “The seat-sharing arrangement can no longer be delayed. I spoke to Rahul Gandhi today and I have pleaded that both RJD and Congress should be accommodative towards other allies,” CPI general secretary D. Raja said.
The Congress and the RJD have not yet settled the division of seats between themselves. Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the party will fight on a “respectable and acceptable” figure. He, however, did not spell out what this number would be.
Informed sources say the Congress has conveyed to the RJD that it is willing to settle for fewer seats than the 70 it had fought for in 2020. Out of these, party insiders say only 25 seats were “quality” seats, where it had a fighting chance of winning. The Congress party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) met on October 8 and is learnt to have cleared 25 candidates. The second meeting of the CEC is scheduled for Monday (October 13, 2025).
Published – October 12, 2025 10:03 pm IST
