As Bihar braces for its 2025 assembly elections, the INDIA bloc—comprising the RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP)—has descended into a chaotic spectacle of disunity, undermining its ambition to challenge the ruling NDA. With the first phase of polling set for November 6, 2025, the alliance’s much-touted unity has unraveled into 10 “friendly contests” across constituencies like Vaishali, Tarapur, Kutumba, and Bachhwara. These intra-alliance battles, where RJD candidates face off against Congress or VIP contenders, risk splitting votes in marginal seats, potentially gifting victories to the BJP-led NDA in a state where the 2020 Bachhwara race was decided by just 484 votes.

The Mahagathbandhan’s disarray stems from delayed seat-sharing agreements and competing ambitions. While Congress announced 48 candidates, including Shiv Prakash Garib Das in Bachhwara, overlaps with CPI’s Awadesh Roy and RJD nominees highlight the bloc’s lack of coordination.

VIP chief Mukesh Sahani, who has never won an election, briefly quit the alliance over unmet demands for a Deputy CM post, only to be placated after late-night interventions by CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya and Rahul Gandhi. Sahani’s preference for helicopter campaigns and five-star press conferences contrasts starkly with the grassroots efforts of leaders like Tejashwi Yadav and Prashant Kishor, exposing the bloc’s fragmented approach.

The INDIA bloc’s early momentum from Rahul Gandhi’s 16-day Voter Adhikar Rally and Tejashwi Yadav’s five-day Bihar Adhikar Rally has fizzled into despair. Star campaigners like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra struggle to mask the ground-level chaos, with last-minute candidate filings adding to the confusion.

The NDA, led by Nitish Kumar, capitalizes on this narrative of a divided opposition, bolstered by its cohesive strategy and finalized seat allocations. Meanwhile, Jan Suraaj’s independent run across all 243 seats further fragments the opposition vote, amplifying the INDIA bloc’s self-inflicted wounds.

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This coalition, once envisioned as a formidable counter to the NDA, now stands as a cautionary tale of contradictions and missed opportunities. As the elections loom, the Mahagathbandhan’s inability to resolve its internal conflicts—exemplified by Sahani’s tantrums and overlapping candidacies—threatens electoral hara-kiri. Unless the bloc can forge a unified front, the NDA stands poised to exploit this muddle, potentially securing a decisive victory in Bihar’s volatile political landscape.

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