As nomination filings kicked off on Friday, October 10, 2025, for the first phase of Bihar's high-stakes assembly elections on November 6, the opposition INDIA bloc's seat-sharing impasse has triggered a bold move by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM. Frustrated by delays in finalizing the deal, the CPM announced its candidates for two key seats, signaling potential cracks in the alliance's unity just weeks before the polls.

The CPM named Satyendra Yadav for the Manjhi constituency in Saran district and Ajay Kumar for Bibhutipur in Samastipur district—both slated for the first phase. Yadav is set to file his papers on October 14, while Kumar will follow on October 16. This independent push comes after the party contested four seats in 2020, securing two victories, and now eyes a "respectable" share amid broader Left demands for 35 seats collectively with CPI and CPI(ML).

The announcement followed a tense Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) huddle in Patna, attended by supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, aimed at breaking the deadlock. The INDIA bloc—comprising RJD, Congress, Left parties, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), Rashtriya Lok Jan Shakti Party (RLJP), and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)—has proposed RJD contesting 138 seats, Congress 52, Left 35, VIP 15, RLJP 2, and JMM 1. However, Congress, pushing for at least 65 seats and a deputy CM post after its 2020 haul of 19 from 70 contested, issued an ultimatum to RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav to wrap up talks swiftly.

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Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar revealed that the party's screening committee has greenlit 13 candidates for first-phase seats, with the central election committee meeting on October 11 to deliberate further. "We've allotted seats to our candidates and instructed them to gear up, but formal announcements are imminent," Kumar stated, underscoring the party's proactive stance on 25 identified constituencies overall.

CPI general secretary D. Raja echoed the urgency, noting his party submitted a list of 24 seats to Yadav and anticipates a fair allocation. Yet, even if seats are locked in soon—as JMM's Vinod Kumar Pandey predicts within days—the bloc faces a thornier hurdle: selecting a chief ministerial face. Tejashwi Yadav leads opinion polls as the preferred CM, but consensus remains elusive among allies wary of RJD dominance.

The NDA, led by BJP and JD(U), has already sealed its pact, with BJP and JD(U) each eyeing around 100 seats, leaving the rest for allies like Chirag Paswan's LJP(RV) (26), Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM(S) (8), and Upendra Kushwaha's RLM (7). This cohesion contrasts sharply with INDIA's disarray, amplified by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, which opposition alleges disenfranchised minorities.

Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party adds another wildcard, unveiling 51 candidates on October 9 and vowing to contest all 243 seats with a focus on fresh faces and governance reforms. AIMIM, snubbed by INDIA, is rallying in Seemanchal with its "Nyay Yatra."

With the second phase on November 11 and results on November 14, Bihar's 7.4 crore voters face a fractured opposition narrative on jobs, migration, and caste equity against NDA's stability pitch. The CPM's gambit could either force a quicker deal or splinter votes, tilting the scales in this caste-riven battleground. As Rahul Gandhi preps rallies and Nitish Kumar eyes a ninth term, the race to 122 seats promises fireworks—and fallout.

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