The coalition within the Bihar INDIA bloc is encountering hurdles in settling their seat-sharing arrangements, causing delays in the declaration of candidates.
While the RJD has unveiled six candidates thus far, reports indicate that they are finalizing additional names without engaging in consultations with other members of the bloc.
Tensions have escalated due to the Congress' insistence on claiming 10 seats in Bihar, sparking a disagreement with the RJD. Lalu Prasad, however, is reluctant to repeat the past "mistake" of allocating 70 seats to the Congress in the 2020 Assembly election, given their dismal performance of securing only 19 seats.
Shivanand Tiwari, the national vice president of RJD, emphasized, "There is no disagreement between the RJD and Congress party, but the latter is pressing for more seats in Bihar without providing details on their candidates. How can seat-sharing be feasible without discussing candidate profiles? Negotiations will take place between RJD national president Lalu Prasad Yadav and the top leadership of Congress."
Reports suggest that the Congress has set its sights on key constituencies including Kishanganj, Supaul, Katihar, Darbhanga, Purnea, Aurangabad, Buxar, Patna Sahib, Begusarai, and Sasaram.
While Abhay Kushwaha has been announced as the RJD candidate for Aurangabad, Bima Bharti is likely to receive the ticket for the Purnea Lok Sabha seat.
Pappu Yadav, the influential leader and four-time MP, is determined to contest the Purnea seat at any cost, signaling a potential challenge to the RJD. Yadav's recent merger of his Jan Adhikar Party with the Congress, aiming to secure the Purnea ticket, poses a significant concern for the RJD.
Expressing his resolve on social media platform X, Pappu Yadav asserted, "I would rather perish than abandon Purnea and the Congress party."
Similarly, Nikhil Kumar, the former Governor of Kerala and Congress leader, has emerged as a contender for the Aurangabad seat, further complicating the dynamics between the two parties.
Ashitnath Tiwari, spokesperson of the Congress in Bihar, emphasized the importance of respecting the coalition pact, stating, "Unilateral decisions are demoralizing for party workers and do not uphold the spirit of the coalition."
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