The Bihar assembly elections are heating up as cracks within the grand anti-BJP alliance, the INDIA bloc, become increasingly visible. With voting scheduled in two phases on November 6 and 11, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has announced it will contest the polls independently, leaving its coalition partners, Congress and RJD, to navigate a more complicated electoral scenario. The party will field candidates on six seats, highlighting dissatisfaction with the seat-sharing arrangements offered by the alliance.
The Congress had released its candidate list for 48 constituencies just hours before the nomination deadline for the first phase, escalating tensions over allocation. This move exposed lingering disagreements between Congress and RJD, which were struggling to finalize seat-sharing. Smaller allies, including the Left parties and Vikassheel Insaan Party, have also expressed frustration over unmet demands, adding to the coalition’s instability.
BJP seized the opportunity to highlight the disarray, pointing to the internal conflicts among INDIA bloc leaders as evidence of organizational failure. The opposition’s disagreements over seat distribution, including the denial of expected allocations to smaller allies, appear to have prompted JMM’s decision to break away and contest independently in Bihar.
The Bihar elections, which cover 243 assembly seats, are being closely watched nationally, as the outcome could reshape regional political dynamics. The first phase of polling covers 121 constituencies, while the remaining 122 seats go to polls in the second phase. Votes will be counted on November 14. Analysts say the exit of JMM may influence voter sentiment in the constituencies it contests, potentially impacting the overall performance of the INDIA bloc. The developments underscore the challenges opposition parties face in maintaining unity ahead of high-stakes elections.
This political upheaval signals a critical moment in Bihar’s electoral landscape, with the BJP positioned to benefit from the visible rifts among its opponents. The coming weeks are expected to witness intensified campaigning and strategic recalculations by all parties ahead of the polls.
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