Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 | 'Ready to go with any number': VIP chief Mukesh Sahani as I.N.D.I.A. bloc seals seat deal

In a handwritten note to Rahul Gandhi, Mukesh Sahani said he wished to 'fight communal forces' and would stay with the alliance “without any constraints on seats.”

New Delhi: The I.N.D.I.A. bloc appeared to have clinched its seat-sharing deal for the Bihar Assembly elections on Thursday evening, ending a day of intense negotiations and political drama. The tension peaked when Mukesh Sahani-led Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) hinted it might walk out of the alliance, triggering a flurry of phone calls between Delhi and Patna.

Sources said the RJD and VIP have now reached an agreement under which the Sahani-led party will contest 15 Assembly seats and get an MLC position. Sahani, who initially demanded 60 seats and the Deputy Chief Minister’s post, had later scaled down his ask to 30. An official announcement, however, is still pending as some parties are yet to finalise specific constituencies.

The day began with uncertainty as VIP scheduled a press conference, with Sahani reportedly telling allies he was considering his options since RJD hadn’t responded. He was persuaded to postpone the event thrice — first from 10 a.m. to noon, then to 6 p.m., and finally indefinitely — following calls by CPI(ML)L General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya to top leaders including Congress’s Rahul Gandhi.

“Everything is fine. We haven't received any news that Mukesh Sahani is angry. He has accepted everything, so what is there to be angry about,” said RJD’s Bihar chief Mangani Lal Mandal.

As Bhattacharya pressed Rahul and RJD leaders to ensure VIP stayed in the bloc, sources said Sahani sent a handwritten letter to Rahul Gandhi expressing his desire to “fight communal and divisive forces” and remain part of the alliance “without any constraints on the number of seats.”

He also sought Rahul’s intervention, writing that “time is less” and reminding him he was initially promised 35 seats, later reduced to 25, and then to 18.

Sahani reportedly told leaders that misleading reports were circulating in the national media about his absence from negotiations. “The issue is not numbers,” he is said to have written. “I am ready to go with any number.”

Bhattacharya is believed to have pushed for VIP’s inclusion, arguing the bloc needed “maximum representation.” Sources said Rahul Gandhi was expected to discuss the matter with Tejashwi Yadav, though there was no confirmation of the conversation.

During the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul, and party General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal met to discuss the issue. Rahul is scheduled to travel to Uttar Pradesh and Assam on Friday.

There have been lingering doubts within the bloc about Sahani’s long-term loyalty, especially after reports that the BJP had reached out to him. The speculation is not unfounded — in 2020, Sahani had walked out of the RJD-led alliance just before the press conference announcing seat-sharing.