INDIA bloc finalises seat-sharing in poll-bound Bihar; announcement pending
The people added constituents of the alliance have no issues with the formula, and the main party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress, are ready to contest fewer seats than in the 2020 election to give space to alliance partners. 'The focus of the alliance is on keeping the cohesiveness intact and winnability. Each seat was surveyed for unanimous decisions,' said a person on condition of anonymity.
The three Left parties in the bloc could get more seats but less than what they wanted due to their better strike rate and proven track record, and potential to transfer votes.
'The seats of the RJD and the Congress would come down to accommodate the Vikashshel Inshaan Party (VIP) of Mukesh Sahni, which will get more seats than it had in 2020 as part of the [Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP-led] NDA [National Democratic Alliance],' said the person
In 2020, the RJD emerged as the single largest party, winning 75 seats in the 243-member House. The Congress and the Left parties won 19 and 16 seats. VIP, then part of the NDA, bagged four seats, but all its legislators switched over to the BJP.
The people cited above said Sahni is said to have bargained hard for a better deal, but the INDIA bloc has not yielded due to the potential of a close fight. Last time, there was a vote difference of just 0.3% between the NDA and the INDIA bloc.
With 37.9% vote share, the NDA got 125 seats in 2020. The Opposition bloc got 110 seats with 37.6% vote share. Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation had the highest strike rate of 63.15%. It won 12 of the 19 seats, followed by RJD (75 of the 148 seats) with a strike rate of 52.08%. The Congress had the lowest strike rate of 27.15%, winning 19 of the 70 seats.
Social analyst NK Choudhary said that the 2025 election could be a repeat of 2020. 'That is what will keep both the alliances on tenterhooks. The INDIA bloc knows the value of each vote after getting so near and yet so far last time. It is treading cautiously, but the fight again will be intense and close this time.'
He said the NDA is understandably under pressure due to factors such as anti-incumbency and a fall in chief minister Nitish Kumar's clout. 'The fight will remain close, and that is the reason why the Sahni factor assumes significance despite not being a big one in Bihar.'
RJD spokesman Mrityunjay Tiwari said the mood in the state had boosted the confidence of the party workers, who see a bright prospect. 'The mood is for change, and that will happen,' he said. He said preparations were underway for joint and vigorous campaigning focused on core issues and exposing the NDA's failures.
A joint manifesto of the INDIA bloc was being given a final shape. It is expected to focus on welfare measures as well as fundamental issues such as employment generation, a check on migration, and corruption.
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