Patna, Oct 21 – The race for Bihar’s 243 assembly seats is heating up after the last day of nominations. A new look at the final list shows the state’s largest electoral alliance, the Grand Alliance (or INDIA bloc), is split, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) stays united.
Grand Alliance faces internal fights
The Grand Alliance, which bundles the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, Left parties, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and the Indian Inclusive Party (IIP), filed 254 candidates. That means a few candidates will run against each other in the same seat, potentially splitting the opposition vote and helping the NDA.
- RJD – 143 seats, led by Tejashwi Yadav, anchors the alliance. The party still counts on its traditional Muslim‑Yadav voter base.
- Congress – 61 seats, down from 70 in 2020. Congress workers in Gaya, Munger and Siwan rebelled against RJD nominees, and several leaders filed independent nominations.
- Left Front – 33 seats spread among the CPI, CPI‑ML and CPM. The left holds strong positions in districts like Ara, Jehanabad, Siwan and Gaya, but faces clashes with RJD and Congress candidates.
- VIP – 15 seats for Mukesh Sahani, who represents the Nishad community and has stirred tension by demanding a deputy chief‑minister post.
- IIP – 3 seats for I.P. Gupta, who promised “justice” and “big victory” from a small start.
At least 11 seats, including Kahalgaon, Vaishali and Katihar, will see two alliance candidates vying for the same vote. The split shows how fragile the opposition coalition has become.
NDA keeps the focus on unity
The NDA, made up of BJP, JD‑U, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha, secured 243 seats smoothly. BJP lists 101 candidates, JD‑U 101, LJP 29, HAM 6 and RLM 6. After the nomination deadline, several potential spoilers withdrew as independents, a move supported by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and cabinet minister Nitish Kumar.
“Nitish Kumar kicked off the campaign, stressing development and stability,” a party source said. The NDA’s concise seat‑sharing plan and disciplined party machinery prevented the vote split that plagued the opposition.
What it means for the voters
Observers say the Bihar elections will test the strength of each alliance more than the prestige of individual leaders. The opposition’s internal divides risk handing the NDA a clean sweep in several hotly contested seats. Voters in Bihar may now weigh whether unity will bring better governance or whether the parties’ triumphs over personal politics mean fewer choices.
For now, the battlefield lines up: the Grand Alliance will have to resolve its rifts to keep the opposition vote intact, while the NDA enjoys a unified front ready to take advantage of any disunity elsewhere. The coming weeks will reveal whether the fractured coalition can rally before the final campaign clarifies the stakes for all 243 constituencies.
Source: ianslive
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