Advertisement

Updated October 3rd, 2020 at 18:44 IST

Bihar polls: VIP walks out of Mahagathbandhan after RJD announces to contest on 144 seats

With Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) contesting on 144 seats including seats of its ally VIP & JMM, VIP chief Mukesh Sahni announced that his party will walk out

Bihar Elections
| Image:self
Advertisement

With Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) contesting on 144 seats including seats of its ally Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the upcoming state polls, VIP chief Mukesh Sahni announced that his party will walk out from the Mahagathbandhan. Addressing the press conference along with his allies, Sahni claimed that he was 'backstabbed' by RJD which had promised 25 seats to VIP. Assuring that he will reveal his future to the media tomorrow, he proceeded to step down from the dais in the presence of RJD's Tejashwi and Tej Pratap Yadav and Congres-in-charge Avinash Pande.

Bihar elections 2020: Mahagathbandhan chooses Tejashwi as its leader, seat-sharing out

VIP walks out

Bihar Elections 2020: LJP's Chirag Paswan meets BJP chief JP Nadda for seat-sharing talks

Mahagathbandhan chooses Tejashwi

Addressing a press conference in Patna, Congress' Bihar in-charge Avinash Pandey announced Tejashwi Yadav as the 'face of Mahagathbandhan', presumably their CM candidate. The Mahagathbandhan has decided the seat share as such - RJD (144 seats), Congress (70 seats + Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha bypoll), CPM (4 seats), CPI (6 seats), CPM (4 seats), CPI-ML (19 seats). The RJD's seat share includes seats in which Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) party's seats.

Bihar's Grand Alliance clinches seat-sharing deal for assembly polls; announcement likely in evening

Political shuffle

The Mahagathbandhan has suffered several jolts ahead of the state polls. Initially, Congress in-charge Avinash Pande saying it is prepared to contest on all 243 seats adding it will coalesce with RJD if they reach a  'respectable' understanding with it. RJD MLA Chandrika Rai - who was a close friend of Lalu Yadav and also Tej Pratap Yadav's father-in-law, senior MLAs Faraz Fatmi, Jaiwardhan Yadav and three more MLAs quit RJD and joined the ruling Nitish Kumar-led JDU.  Former Nitish aide- Sharad Yadav's LJD has stated it won't join NDA. 

Bihar polls: Amid seat-sharing talks, Congress questions RJD's 'stubborn attitude'

On the other hand, NDA- led by BJP poll-in-charge Devendra Fadnavis too is facing revolt from Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), with its chief Chirag Paswan aspiring to contest as many as 143 seats in the upcoming polls. Sources say that LJP which cntested on 42 seats but only 2 in 2015, maybe forced to settle for 30 seats.  LJP is reportedly unhappy with the re-entry of Jitan Ram Manjhi in the NDA. The NDA now faces the Mahagathbandhan (RJD-Congress), Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA) - JAP, ASP, SDP, and BMP,  United Democratic Secular Alliance (UDSA) - AIMIM and SJD and BSP-RLSP. Bihar will vote in 3 phases - October 28, November 3, and November 7, with the results being declared on November 10.

Advertisement

Published October 3rd, 2020 at 18:44 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo