MGB Seat Sharing: Ashok Gehlot Said This After Meeting Lalu And Tejashwi
Patna, Bihar: In a crucial development ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Congress senior leader and Bihar election observer, Ashok Gehlot, met Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and party leader Tejashwi Yadav in Patna on Wednesday, in an effort to iron out seat-sharing differences within the Mahagathbandhan alliance. Gehlot emerged from the meeting with an optimistic tone, insisting that the alliance remained united and that contentious issues surrounding a handful of constituencies would soon be resolved.
Speaking to journalists after the closed-door discussions at Rabri Devi’s residence, Gehlot confirmed that the Mahagathbandhan – or the INDIA bloc as it is now known at the national level – was contesting the elections together, despite minor disagreements over a few seats. “We had a good discussion. There is a press conference tomorrow. Every confusion will be clear. The Mahagathbandhan is contesting the elections together. There are 243 seats in Bihar; there can be a friendly fight on five to ten seats,” he remarked, signalling that most issues had been amicably addressed.
Posting on X, Gehlot sought to quash speculation about discord within the INDIA alliance. He wrote that a “highly positive meeting” had taken place with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Bihar in-charge Allavaru and the RJD leadership. “The INDIA alliance in Bihar is fully united and contesting the elections with strength. Tomorrow, the full situation will be clarified in the Mahagathbandhan’s press conference,” he stated.
Gehlot also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had orchestrated a “sponsored campaign” aimed at sewing confusion within the opposition bloc. “The BJP in Bihar ran a sponsored campaign with the objective of creating divisions in the Mahagathbandhan and spoiling the atmosphere. Such an environment was created as if there were rifts within the Mahagathbandhan itself,” he wrote. He emphasised that friendly fights often occur due to local dynamics but do not signal a breakdown in unity: “In 243 seats, due to local leaders and equations, a situation like a friendly fight arises on five to seven seats. This is a very small number, and there is no problem at all,” he clarified.
The Congress has reportedly agreed to field candidates in 61 constituencies – nine fewer than in the 2020 Assembly polls – while the RJD is contesting 143 seats. Left parties, including the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M), and the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, are contesting the remaining share. The CPI(ML) Liberation, which secured 12 seats last time, has fielded 20 candidates this time.
Despite the overall consensus, media houses reported quoting sources as suggesting that “friendly contests” are expected across at least 8–11 constituencies. These include Narkatiaganj, Vaishali, Rajapakar, Rosera, Bachhwara, Kahalgaon, Biharsharif, and Sikandara – where both Congress and RJD, as well as Congress and Left parties, will face each other. The Congress leadership, however, insists that such overlaps are minor and will not affect the alliance’s campaign or messaging.
Predictably, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has capitalised on the publicised strains within the opposition camp. BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain alleged that the Mahagathbandhan had “deep internal divisions,” while Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan mockingly questioned, “Where is Rahul Gandhi?” asserting that the alliance had “completely collapsed”. Paswan went further, saying, “Today, Ashok Gehlot has come to Bihar after everything is over in the Mahagathbandhan. How can an alliance that cannot keep its partners together hold the people of Bihar together?”.
