Mahagathbandhan faces seat-sharing stalemate in Bihar

The ongoing seat-sharing negotiations in Bihar’s Opposition Mahagathbandhan have encountered a temporary stalemate, largely because of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) adopting a firm stance on its seat demands.

- TIKAM SHARMA

And this in spite of both the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) showing the willingness to contest around 10% fewer seats than they did in the previous Assembly elections. Despite this conciliatory move to maintain the unity of the alliance, the Mahagathbandhan is finding it difficult to finalise a seat-sharing formula.

According to sources, several rounds of discussion were held last week, but no conclusive agreement was reached. A senior leader within the alliance informed The Sunday Guardian that the Mahagathbandhan is likely to finalise the seat-sharing formula within the next couple of days. Before the official announcement, a crucial meeting between Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi is expected to take place, following which the seat-sharing agreement is likely to be declared on October 14, Tuesday.

At present, the alliance faces a significant impasse stemming from differences between the VIP and the Left parties. Insiders revealed that the ongoing deliberations have become grid locked over the demands of these two groups, both of which are seeking a higher share of seats than what the RJD is willing to give them. Despite leaders publicly asserting that unity within the Mahagathbandhan remains intact, the divergence in expectations has caused a visible deadlock.