Amid speculation that RJD leaders would hold a dialogue with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the seat-sharing tussle in the Mahagathbandhan ahead of the Bihar polls, Tejashwi Yadav clarified, saying, “I am here for the court hearing, not for any political purpose
JD chief Lalu Prasad, along with his family, arrived in Delhi for the hearing of the IRCTC Tatkal ticket scam case.
Amid speculation that RJD leaders would hold a dialogue with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the seat-sharing tussle in the Mahagathbandhan ahead of the Bihar polls, Tejashwi Yadav clarified, saying, “I am here for the court hearing, not for any political purpose.”
Speculations are rife that RJD leaders Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav will meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi to discuss the ongoing seat-sharing tussle within the Mahagathbandhan.
A major sticking point within the Mahagathbandhan has been the ongoing dispute between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress over seat distribution for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
The Congress has reportedly sought 78 seats, pushing for a larger share within the alliance, while the RJD has offered around 48, creating a stalemate between the two principal partners. Negotiations are now underway to reach a middle ground, with a possible compromise of about 55 seats being discussed to preserve alliance unity.
According to sources, Tejashwi Yadav remains hesitant to allocate additional seats to the Congress, citing its poor performance in the previous polls. Meanwhile, Left parties within the bloc are also demanding fair representation, further complicating the power-sharing talks.
Regarding the CM face of the grand alliance, the uncertainty prevails. Congress leader Udit Raj on Tuesday clarified that Tejashwi Yadav is not the chief ministerial face of the INDIA bloc in Bihar, stating that the decision on the alliance’s CM candidate will be made jointly. “Tejashwi Yadav may be the CM face for the RJD, but the INDIA bloc’s candidate will be decided collectively,” he said.
The 243 assembly seats of the state will go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with counting of votes to be held on November 14.