Congress, RJD Rift Widens Over Bihar Seat Sharing
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Patna
- Oct 14, 2025
- 574
As Bihar gears up for its two-phase Assembly elections, cracks within the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) have widened over seat-sharing. The Congress party has taken a firm stand, asserting that it will not compromise on its share of seats, even as talks with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) remain deadlocked.
According to party insiders, the Congress leadership is demanding a greater number of constituencies than what the RJD is willing to concede. The stalemate comes at a critical juncture — just weeks before the state heads to the polls.
Amid these tense negotiations, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav returned to Patna from Delhi on Monday without meeting senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, signaling that consensus remains elusive. Sources suggest that despite multiple rounds of discussions, neither side has made significant concessions.
Meanwhile, in a significant political development, folk singer Maithili Thakur joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Patna. The celebrated artist from Mithilanchal region is likely to contest from Alinagar constituency, giving the BJP an influential cultural and youth face ahead of the polls.
The Election Commission had announced the Bihar Assembly poll schedule on October 6. The election will be conducted in two phases — November 6 and 11 — across 243 assembly seats, with results to be declared on November 14.
In the first phase, voting will be held in 121 constituencies, including the capital Patna.
The second phase will cover 122 constituencies, primarily in Bihar’s border districts.
The election process, stretching from the announcement to the counting day, spans 40 days. The state has approximately 7.42 crore (74.2 million) registered voters, including 14 lakh (1.4 million) first-time voters, making this one of the largest state-level democratic exercises in India.
Political observers note that with the BJP strengthening its cultural and grassroots outreach, and the Grand Alliance still struggling to finalize its internal arrangements, the battle for Bihar 2025 could witness a reshaping of traditional alliances and power equations.