The Bihar political scene is witnessing intense pressure tactics, as parties strategize ahead of the election announcement. The current environment indicates that the Mahagathbandhan might face a breakdown, mirroring past scenarios. The Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) has created an expectation by announcing its plan to contest 60 seats. Considering the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD’s) reluctance to allocate substantial seats to even the Congress, giving so many seats to VIP seems unlikely.
Both major alliances are deeply engaged in seat-sharing discussions. Smaller parties are pushing for greater representation. In 2020, Mukesh Sahani’s VIP was part of the Mahagathbandhan, but failed to agree on seat distribution. The outcome of current negotiations with Sahani is eagerly anticipated.
The founder of VIP, Mukesh Sahani, recently announced his party’s intention to contest 60 seats in 2025. This has raised questions about its feasibility, considering VIP is a part of the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan. The RJD is not in a mood to offer a large number of seats to its allies, including Congress. How the RJD will allocate 60 seats to a regional party is a key point to watch.
Bihar has 243 assembly seats. VIP’s unilateral declaration to contest 60 seats comes with the expectation that the Deputy Chief Minister will be from the Mallah community. This might indicate Mukesh Sahani’s aim for the Deputy CM position.
Other parties are also making their demands. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) wants to contest at least 12 seats. Pashupati Paras’s Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party is also seeking a substantial number of seats. The Left parties, who collectively won 16 seats in 2020, are now demanding over 40 seats. The CPI-ML had won 12 seats in the last election.
The RJD plans to contest 140-145 seats in this election. The Congress is seeking around 70 seats, but RJD is proposing 50-55 seats, indicating challenges in alliance dynamics.
In the 2020 assembly election, the Mahagathbandhan saw a mixed result. The RJD secured 75 seats out of 144, while the Congress won 19 out of 70. The Left parties combined to win 16 seats. In the last election cycle, Mukesh Sahani and the Mahagathbandhan had a fallout due to seat allocation issues. Sahani then demanded 25 seats and the Deputy Chief Minister post.
In 2025, Sahani is pushing for 60 seats and made a public announcement. His pressure tactics and the outcome of seat-sharing negotiations will be critical.