Rift Within INDIA Bloc In Bihar As Lalu Yadav 'Unilaterally' Announces 13 Seats For Lok Sabha Polls?

As the Lok Sabha Elections date approaches, tensions escalate within the INDI-Alliance as disagreements arise over seat allocation in Bihar. Amid the deadlock regarding negotiations on seat allocation with the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav has distributed party tickets to candidates for 13 seats in Bihar, encompassing all four seats scheduled for voting in the initial phase. The Congress, on the other hand, expressed dissatisfaction over the unilateral approach taken by RJD.  

The key constituencies contributing to the difference of opinion in the INDIA-bloc include Siwan, Katihar, and Madhubani. There is anticipation of a rising rift between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist (CPIML) over the Siwan seat, and a fierce battle ensues between the Congress and CPIML over the Katihar seat, said the sources. While RJD, the Communist Party of India (CPI), and the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) are arguing over the Madhubani seat,.  

RJD Violated Alliance Ethics  

In a recent announcement, RJD declared the names of 13 candidates without consultation with the coalition. RJD's finalised list of candidates includes notable names such as Abhay Kushwaha for Aurangabad, Shravan Kushwaha for Nawada, and Misa Bharti for Patliputra, with a strategic focus on securing the support of the Muslim, Yadav, and Kushwaha vote banks and a particular eye on the MYK community's 34% share of votes.  

The party has additionally nominated candidates to contest from the following constituencies:  

Banka - Jaiprakash Yadav  

Saran – Rohini Acharya  

Ujiarpur – Alok Mehta  

Patliputra – Misa Bharti  

Buxar – Sudhakar Singh  

Jehanabad – Surendra Yadav,  

Munger – Anita Mahato  

Madhubani – Ashraf Ali Fatmi  

Vaishali – Rama Singh  

Meanwhile, CPIML, CPI, and CPM have announced their candidates for various constituencies, including Sudama Prasad for Ara, Avadhesh Ku Rai for Begusarai, and Sanjay Kushwaha for Khagaria, respectively.