RJD Secures 135 Seats, Congress Gets 61 in Final Seat-Sharing Deal; Tejashwi Yadav Tapped as CM Face
Patna: After weeks of intense deliberations and a significant internal tug-of-war, the Bihar opposition Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) has finally reached a conclusive seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Assembly elections. Sources confirm that Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will contest 135 seats, while its principal ally, the Congress party, will field candidates in 61 constituencies of the 243-member state assembly.
The final agreement represents a marginal climbdown for both major parties. The RJD had initially angled for 144 seats, while the Congress had set its sights on 70.
Crucially, the Congress has reportedly backed down on its earlier fence-sitting, formally agreeing to project Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial face of the entire alliance—a factor that had complicated negotiations for several days.
The remainder of the seats has been distributed among the other alliance partners. The Left Front, which includes the CPIML, CPI, and CPM, is set to receive between 29 to 31 seats. Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) will contest 16 seats. Additionally, the RJD and Congress will allocate seats from their respective quotas for smaller allies like the JMM and IIP.
With the seat distribution finally resolved, the Mahagathbandhan is now set to pivot its focus entirely on campaigning, hoping to mount a united challenge against the ruling coalition in the state.
