Bihar Polls: RJD Distributes Tickets Ahead of Seat-Sharing Agreement

With the nomination deadline for the first phase of Bihar assembly elections approaching, the Mahagathbandhan alliance finds itself in familiar territory  discussing seat-sharing arrangements while its leader has already begun distributing tickets.

RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday started handing out party symbols to preferred candidates at his Patna residence, even as alliance partners continue negotiations over constituency distribution. The move echoes a similar pattern from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where Lalu had announced candidates before reaching a formal agreement with Congress and Left parties.

A large crowd gathered outside the RJD chief's home after he returned from Delhi, where he had appeared before a court. Party aspirants who received phone calls began arriving and emerged minutes later with party symbols and satisfied expressions. Among the prominent recipients were Sunil Singh from Parbatta, who recently left Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), and Narendra Kumar Singh, known as Bogo, a former MLA from Matihani who had previously won the seat twice under Kumar's party.

Political observers view these candidatures as part of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's strategy to attract Bhumihar voters, an influential upper caste group that has traditionally backed the BJP-led NDA. However, reports suggest the party symbols were later taken back from the leaders.

Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav held discussions with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Monday evening regarding seat-sharing arrangements. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal and Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru attended the meeting at Kharge's residence. Earlier discussions with Congress also included Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram and legislative party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan.

The Mahagathbandhan is expected to finalize its seat-sharing formula within the next few days and may announce candidates along with a joint manifesto this week. Congress is likely to receive fewer seats compared to the 2020 assembly polls, reflecting its disappointing performance when it won only 19 of the 70 seats it contested. The RJD had contested 144 seats and secured 75 in the 243-member assembly.

On the opposition side, the NDA alliance has already announced its seat distribution. BJP state in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan revealed on Sunday that JD(U) and BJP will each contest 101 seats. Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party will field candidates in 29 constituencies, while Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha will contest six seats each.

The Bihar assembly elections will be conducted in two phases on November 6 and 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 14. The nomination process began on October 10 for the first phase, covering 121 constituencies.

This pre-emptive ticket distribution by Lalu Prasad has become characteristic of his political style. In previous elections, alliance partners eventually accommodated his decisions, and the RJD expects a similar outcome this time. However, with the nomination deadline approaching, the pressure is mounting on the Mahagathbandhan to formalize its seat-sharing arrangement and present a united front before voters.