As Bihar gears up for its assembly elections, political parties are in full swing with their preparations. The Grand Alliance, spearheaded by the RJD and Congress, is launching attacks against the current government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the opposition, organized a meeting with the coalition members before the elections and announced an ‘August Kranti’ campaign, intending to tour Bihar with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to criticize the Nitish Kumar government and the BJP. A noticeable absence from this meeting was Mukesh Sahani, the leader of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP).
Sahani’s recent statements are complicating matters for the Grand Alliance, especially concerning seat distribution. While Tejashwi Yadav is trying to downplay internal disagreements, tensions are evident.
The RJD has initiated five rounds of discussions regarding seat allocation. Following the latest meeting, Tejashwi Yadav reported that all partners have submitted their preferred seat lists and are confident that seat distribution will be resolved without any issues.
However, Mukesh Sahani is making his stance clear, repeatedly announcing that his party will contest 60 seats, leaving the remaining seats for other allies. Furthermore, Sahani has demanded the Deputy Chief Minister post, believing it would be a point of pride for his community. He explicitly stated his preference to be the ‘groom’ rather than a ‘guest’. These demands are viewed skeptically, given that the VIP currently does not hold any seats in the assembly, as its four MLAs have switched over to the BJP.
In 2020, Sahani had asked for 25 seats and the Deputy CM post from the Grand Alliance. When these demands weren’t met, he joined the NDA. The BJP gave him 11 seats. His party won four seats, but later, his MLAs defected to the BJP. Now, Sahani’s demands before the elections are a problem for the Grand Alliance. According to analysts, such demands could disturb the alliance’s internal cohesion, potentially prompting similar demands from other small parties.
The RJD, the largest party in the coalition, had contested 144 seats in the 2020 elections, securing 75 seats. The Congress, which fought on 70 seats in 2020 and won 19 seats, is reportedly aiming for around 50 seats this time. The Congress has set up a committee under senior leader Ajay Maken. Though the party hasn’t officially declared Tejashwi Yadav as its CM candidate. On the other hand, Left parties such as the CPI, CPI(ML) have also put forth their demands.