Bihar Polls 2025: Congress Clears 60 Names, Decision Today

The tussle continues in the grand alliance: While the NDA has completed the seat-sharing process for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, the Grand Alliance is still trying to reach a consensus.

Senior leaders of RJD-Congress and other allies are camping in Delhi these days. Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni has also been called to Delhi for discussions. Before leaving from Patna, Sahni said, “The Grand Alliance is a little sick; all the doctors are in Delhi; treatment will be done there.”

The names of the congress candidates have been finalized

According to sources, before the first phase of nominations, internal bargaining regarding seats has intensified. Congress has finalized the names of its candidates for about 60 seats. These names will be approved by the party's Central Election Committee in Delhi on Monday. Consensus has still not been reached on the remaining seats.

Caste and regional balance

This time, the Congress has paid special attention to caste and regional balance in candidate selection to avoid any discontent among any section. The party has decided to give opportunities to some new faces along with the old leaders.

Meanwhile, the RJD has finalized most of its candidates, and several have been informed via phone calls. The Left parties, especially the CPI-ML, have also virtually agreed to the Grand Alliance's terms. However, the situation regarding VIP chief Mukesh Sahni remains unclear. Sources say that discussing Sahni's role is considered essential before a final agreement is reached.

Conflict between the Congress and the RJD

There is a conflict between Congress and RJD on some seats. Congress is not in favor of leaving its old strongholds, while RJD, under pressure from its workers, is preparing to field candidates from the same areas.

Political analysts believe that if the grand alliance is not able to resolve the seat-sharing dispute soon, it could impact not only the campaign but also the alliance's credibility.