NDA PICKS UP PACE IN BIHAR AS MAHAGATHBANDHAN FALTERS

Sources within both the RJD and the Congress said that the negotiations over seat distribution turned sharply confrontational once the talks entered their final phase.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

What was initially seen as the toughest electoral battle for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar in recent times has taken an unexpected turn.

In the early stages of poll preparations, it was the Grand Alliance-led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress-that appeared far more organised.

Their seat-sharing talks had begun well before the NDA's internal consultations, and reports through September had suggested that the Mahagathbandhan (the Grand Alliance) would be the first to finalise and announce its list of candidates.

The coordination visible during the "Vote Adhikar Yatra," where leaders of both RJD and Congress shared stage after stage and attacked the BJP-led NDA with a unified pitch, had given the impression that the Opposition had rediscovered its rhythm.

However, that early advantage was squandered in a matter of weeks. Sources within both the RJD and the Congress told The Sunday Guardian that the negotiations over seat distribution turned sharply confrontational once the talks entered their final phase. Despite multiple rounds of discussions between Patna and Delhi, and repeated interventions from senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, the alliance failed to arrive at a common ground.

According to insiders, the response received by the Congress from the ground during the Jan Adhikar Yatra had emboldened the party to push for a greater share of seats. But Krishna Allavaru, appointed Bihar in-charge in February 2025, maintained a hard line on candidate selection and insisted on prioritising organisational rebuilding over short-term accommodation.

His no-nonsense approach and clean image, while appreciated by the central leadership for its clarity, apparently strained relations with the RJD, which saw it as unnecessary assertiveness from a smaller partner.