Hectic parleys continue as NDA, Oppn bloc ready candidate lists

With just four days remaining for filing nominations for the first-phase polling in Bihar, the Opposition grand alliance, headed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), continued to grapple with a deepening impasse over seat distribution, even as the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has finalised a seat-sharing formula. Neither grouping has announced its candidates so far.

- Subhash Pathak

A vendor selling election campaign materials ahead of the Bihar polls in Patna.

At the heart of the deadlock in the grand alliance negotiations is the RJD’s firm stance against allocating more than 55 seats to its key partner, the Congress, which is pushing for at least 60 in the 243-member assembly, functionaries in the Opposition bloc indicated, adding the Congress has already screened over 90 constituencies, shortlisting candidates and awaiting a breakthrough to announce its lineup. “The list will come out after finalisation of the seat sharing... Oureffortis to ensure a good government for the people of the people of Bihar,” AIC in-charge for Bihar, Krishna Allavaru, told reporters on Monday. “The alliance should not suffer a loss and Bihar should benefit.”