253 candidates filed for 243 seats due to RJD-Congress impasses, leading to overlaps in 10-12 constituencies like Sikandara and Vaishali; withdrawals eyed by October 27.
Congress vs. CPI clashes in four seats, with RJD yielding to dynastic picks despite protests; BJP slams 'tukde-tukde' disunity contrasting NDA's clear 243 slate.
Amid AIMIM and Jan Suraaj intrusions, Mahagathbandhan banks on Yadav's leadership and anti-NDA slogans for November 6/11 polls, pivotal for 2029 national battle
The Mahagathbandhan opposition alliance has fielded 253 candidates for Bihar's 243 Assembly seats, exceeding the total by 10 amid ongoing seat-sharing disputes that forced parties to file unilaterally before Monday's nomination deadline. The move highlights deepening rifts within the coalition—comprising RJD, Congress, CPI(ML) Liberation, CPI, CPM, and VIP, particularly between RJD and Congress, as they scramble to withdraw excess filings before the October 27 cutoff for the first phase covering 121 seats.
The over-nomination stems from failed negotiations, with allies contesting head-to-head in at least 10-12 constituencies, including key battlegrounds like Sikandara, Vaishali, Bihar Sharif, Raja Pakar, Bachchwara, and Kargahar. Congress, eyeing 61-63 seats, clashed with RJD over five disputed spots it lost narrowly in 2020, while CPI nominees overlap in four others where Congress incumbents are renominated. RJD leader Manoj Jha downplayed the chaos, insisting a joint press conference Wednesday will finalize withdrawals, but BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala mocked the alliance as a "tukde-tukde" outfit unable to unite for Bihar's progress.
Polling for the November 6 and 11 elections—results on November 14—pits the NDA's cohesive 243-candidate slate against Mahagathbandhan's fractured front, exacerbated by external challengers like AIMIM (25 seats in Seemanchal-Mithilanchal) and Jan Suraaj's all-243 independent run. The alliance, unified on Tejashwi Yadav as CM face, campaigns on "Badlo Sarkar, Bachao Bihar" against NDA's alleged vote theft via Special Intensive Revision deletions, but internal discord risks vote splits in caste-sensitive belts. CPI's D Raja reiterated the drive to defeat BJP-RSS, viewing Bihar as a 2029 Lok Sabha precursor, while NDA leaders like Nitish Kumar launch rallies amid their own minor frictions
