‘Friendly Fight’ or Rift? RJD Fields Candidates Against Congress in Bihar

National News: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has announced five of its candidates who will contest against the nominees of its allies, including the Congress, ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections. This move is being seen as a possible sign of internal tension within the INDIA bloc. As per the list released on Monday, the RJD will compete with the Congress in three seats — Ajay Kushwaha in Vaishali, Shivani Shukla in Lalganj, and Rajnish Bharti in Kahalgaon. In addition, Arun Shah will contest against Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insan Party in Tarapur and Gaura Boram.

Growing Uncertainty Over Seat Sharing

There were already talks of disagreements between the allies, especially with reports of RJD planning to field a candidate in Kutumba, a seat held by Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar Ram. This indicates that the alliance partners may be heading toward a “friendly” contest as discussions on seat-sharing seem stuck. With the nomination deadline for the second phase of elections nearing in 122 of Bihar’s 243 constituencies, the opposition alliance has yet to finalize a proper seat-sharing plan.

Signs of a Crack in the Alliance

The strain within the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) is becoming clear after Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram accused RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav of changing his stance and weakening the partnership. “He joined the AICC meeting with KC Venugopal as a cooperative partner, but now his steps show he is working against the agreement,” Ram said, as reported by Hindustan Times. He also claimed that Tejashwi was reducing the role of Dalit leaders within the alliance.

RJD’s Response to Allegations

RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari did not comment directly on Ram’s statements but said the party leadership is keeping a close eye on the matter. He added that the issues within the alliance would be resolved soon. Tiwari further mentioned that the Congress should remember RJD mainly contests in Bihar and a few seats in Jharkhand, unlike Congress which contests in other states. “In a coalition, such situations arise. But we only contest in Bihar and a few seats in Jharkhand, not in Karnataka, Rajasthan, or Madhya Pradesh. The Congress must understand this. There is still time; all top Mahagathbandhan leaders will sit together to find a solution,” Tiwari told ANI on Sunday.

Hope for a Resolution

Despite the rising differences, both parties have left room for reconciliation. As discussions continue, alliance leaders are hopeful that a common ground will be reached before nominations close, avoiding a deeper rift within the opposition bloc ahead of the Bihar elections.