The tensions, fueled by stalled negotiations and conflicting leadership ambitions, have raised questions about the coalition’s unity against the NDA. The internal discord within Bihar’s opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance has escalated into open friction between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress, with recent events highlighting deepening rifts over seat-sharing arrangements and the projection of a chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly elections slated for October-November.
The tensions, fueled by stalled negotiations and conflicting leadership ambitions, have raised questions about the coalition’s unity against the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by chief minister Nitish Kumar. The latest flashpoint emerged in the Kutumba assembly constituency in Aurangabad district, where Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram convened a workers’ meeting of Mahagathbandhan partners on Saturday. However, RJD’s block and district presidents, along with former MLA Suresh Paswan, boycotted the event without explanation.
In a pointed response, RJD leaders organised their own strategy session on Monday under Paswan’s leadership to discuss electoral plans. Paswan, who won the Kutumba seat as an RJD MLA in the 2005 Bihar assembly elections and served as a minister in the then RJD government, used the platform to rally party workers, underscoring the growing assertiveness of the RJD amid alliance strains. This episode follows a series of developments that have intensified the bickering.
Last week, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Bihar, Krishna Allavaru, stirred a controversy by stating that the chief ministerial face for the INDIA bloc would be “decided by the people of Bihar” — a remark that has irked the RJD, which has been pushing for its leader, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, to be endorsed as the coalition’s CM candidate.
Tejashwi, the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly, has been aggressively positioning himself as the “original CM,” criticising Nitish Kumar as a “visionless leader” and a “duplicate CM” during public appearances, including in the presence of Congress heavyweights like Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Adding to the drama, Tejashwi addressed a workers’ rally in Kanti, Muzaffarpur, on September 13, where he declared, “This time, Tejashwi will contest elections on 243 seats.
Whether it is Kanti, Muzaffarpur, or Gaighat, Tejashwi will contest elections from every place. I appeal to you all to vote for Tejashwi. He will work towards taking Bihar forward.”
He further emphasised, “We will return. Remember this — Tejashwi will be on the field for all 243 seats,” calling for unified action to uproot the NDA government.
Political analysts interpret this as a strategic move by Tejashwi to assert his dominance as the alliance’s de facto CM face and apply pressure on partners, particularly the Congress, which is demanding 60-70 seats —similar to or more than the 70 it contested in 2020.
