File photo of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, LoP in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and LoP in the Bihar Assembly and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav during the launch of 'Ati Pichda Nyay Sankalp', in Patna
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: A public announcement on seat sharing arrangement eluded the I.N.D.I.A bloc on Wednesday too even as some candidates, including top RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, filed their nominations and parties handed over symbols to candidates, amid chances of some alliance partners ending up in friendly fights in a couple of seats.
Sources said Congress has been allocated 61 seats, out of which two will go to IP Gupta-led India Inclusive Party, while the party is pushing for two more seats. The numbers for other parties are not immediately known.
On Wednesday night, Bihar Congress ‘X’ handle posted images of candidates being handed over B-Forms, which provides authorisation for party symbol, to 14 candidates by midnight, including to Bihar Youth Congress chief Prakash Garib Das in Bachhwara where CPI announced the candidature of Abdesh Kumar Rai, who lost the seat for just 737 votes last time.
Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram will contest again from his sitting Kutumba seat while the party is repeating candidates who lost elections from some of the seats this time too. Congress did not release a consolidated list.
It is not the I.N.D.I.A bloc that has faced trouble in seat sharing. The NDA has announced the seat sharing on Sunday through an ‘X’ post and a press conference scheduled on Monday was cancelled, as trouble brewed in the alliance, especially over handing over 29 seats to LJP. JD(U) and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP as well as Jiten Ram Manjhi’s HAM were upset.
Congress continued its deliberations during the day with a sub-committee appointed by the Central Election Committee holding discussions over deciding names for around ten seats, which could not be finalised in its earlier sittings. It gave green signal for around 75 names pending a final list of around 60 after final discussions with the RJD on seats.
A senior leader earlier said the seat discussions with RJD was inconclusive and that was why it cleared more names with a caveat that the names will be declared only after reaching an agreement with the main partner in the alliance over the actual number of seats that the Congress will contest. After
Bihar Congress leaders, including state party chief Rajesh Ram and legislature party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan, as well as in-charge Krishna Allavaru flew back to Patna on Wednesday afternoon and held another round of discussion on seats. Sources said the bone of contention is not the number but certain seats which both sides are unwilling to concede.
RJD and Congress were fighting over Kehalgav, Vaishali and Narkataganj and both were unwilling to let go of these seats. Sources said there is a broader agreement over giving the Mukesh Sahani-led Vikassheel Insaan Party around 17-18 seats.
While CPI(ML)L candidates have started filing nominations on 18 seats that have been agreed upon out of 19 offered by RJD, the Left party is expecting 3-4 more seats though they had demanded at least 30 seats. One of the arguments put forward by alliance managers is that all parties had to go off seats owing to the entry of VIP and parties like LJP (Paras) and JMM.
There has been anticipation since Monday that I.N.D.I.A bloc would be announcing the seat deal. However, the bloc decided to go ahead with filing nominations in seats where there is an understanding.