25-05-2025
INDIA bloc alliance seat-sharing talks for Bihar polls likely next month
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc constituents are likely to begin the seat sharing discussion after setting up block-level coordination committees next month, said a senior Congress leader on Sunday.
'We are emphasising on allocation of seats among the allies early, so that joint campaigning for the assembly elections could start. Last time, we missed the majority owing to delayed distribution of seats and lack of proper coordination among local-level leaders,' said a former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA, adding that the block-level coordination committees are likely to be finalised in the second week of June.
The INDIA bloc constituents, including the RJD, Congress, Left parties and the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) have formed the district-level coordination committees, comprising prominent leaders of their respective parties on May 18.
'Selection of leaders to lead coordination panel is important as they form the real backbone of the coalition during the elections and ensure turning out of electors at booths,' said RJD spokesperson and MLA Bhai Birendra.
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According to a central committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), initial talks over seat-sharing may take place at the state-level coordination committee, led by leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav in Patna.
'After the initial talks, seat sharing formula is likely to be formalized in talks with Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, Dipankar Bhattacharya and the representatives from the CPI and CPI(M),' he added.
In 2020, the RJD had contested 144 seats and won 75 seats, while the Congress won 19 out of 70 it had fought in the assembly elections. CPI(ML), CPI and CPI(M) had won 12 (out of 19), 2 each of 6 & 4 respectively.
'We will scruitinise each and every seat before allocation, since the Grand Alliance had lost the majority even after getting almost the same votes polled by the NDA,' said one of the coordination committee members.
The RJD-led GA had got around 12,700 votes less than the JD(U)-led NDA in the last assembly polls.
