With Bihar’s Assembly elections fast approaching, the Mahagathbandhan alliance is teetering on the edge of collapse as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress remain locked in a bitter standoff over five key seats and the contentious issue of projecting a chief ministerial candidate. Despite marathon negotiations, the two parties have failed to reach a consensus on Baisi (Purnea), Bahadurganj (Kishanganj), Raniganj (Araria), Kahalgaon (Bhagalpur), and Saharsa, with neither willing to budge.

In 2020, RJD contested Raniganj, Saharsa, and Baisi, while Congress fought Kahalgaon and Bahadurganj—none of which were won by the alliance. Sources reveal RJD is pushing Congress to relinquish Kahalgaon and Bahadurganj, while Congress demands Raniganj, Saharsa, and Baisi in return. Tensions escalated after RJD unilaterally promised the Kahalgaon ticket to Rajnish Yadav, son of Jharkhand minister Sanjay Yadav, without consulting Congress. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s campaign kickoff in Kahalgaon on Wednesday, alongside Rajnish, further irked Congress leaders, who see it as a power move.

The 2020 results highlight the stakes: BJP’s Pawan Kumar Yadav won Kahalgaon by a massive 42,893 votes over Congress’ Shubhanand Mukesh, while JD(U)’s Achmit Rishidev edged out RJD’s Avinash Mangalam in Raniganj by 2,304 votes. Saharsa went to BJP’s Alok Ranjan Jha, defeating RJD’s Lovely Anand by 19,679 votes. AIMIM’s Syed Ruknuddin Ahmad and Mohammad Anzar Nayeemi won Baisi and Bahadurganj, respectively, before defecting to RJD in 2022, complicating claims.

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Adding fuel to the fire is the unresolved question of the alliance’s CM face. RJD insists on projecting Tejashwi Yadav, arguing its status as the largest partner justifies its claim. Congress, wary of alienating non-Yadav OBC voters, resists, citing the BJP’s success in Haryana by exploiting anti-Jat sentiments. “Naming Tejashwi risks consolidating OBC votes against us,” a senior Congress leader warned, while RJD counters that its MLA count will grant it the final say post-election. Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have dodged the issue, deferring the decision until November 14 results.

Amid the deadlock, Congress has finalized 25 candidates, including sitting MLAs like Shakeel Ahmad Khan (Kadwa) and Rajesh Ram (Kutumba), at its Central Election Committee meeting on Wednesday. The party’s Screening Committee meets Friday to discuss remaining seats, with the CEC set to finalize names soon. As the RJD-Congress rift deepens, the Mahagathbandhan’s disarray threatens to hand the NDA a strategic edge in Bihar’s fiercely contested electoral battleground.

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