Some friendly fights not a big deal, says Ashok Gehlot after meeting Lalu, Tejashwi

Ashok Gehlot announced that the Grand Alliance leaders would release the details at a joint press conference on Thursday

PATNA: The opposition coalition, the Grand Alliance or Mahagathbandhan, is intact in Bihar, and its constituent parties will jointly contest the assembly elections in the state, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said on Wednesday after meeting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav in Patna.

Congress leader Ashok Gehlot with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and party leader Tejashwi Yadav during a meeting ahead of the Bihar assembly election (@ashokgehlot51)

Gehlot, who also announced that the GA leaders would release the details at a joint press conference on Thursday, brushed aside suggestions that seat-sharing disputes that led to two parties fielding candidates on some seats were a reflection on the state of the coalition.

“The Mahagathbandhan is fighting the elections as a united front. There are minor issues on 5-7 seats due to local dynamics, and friendly contests may occur in a few constituencies, but this is not unusual in a large alliance,” Gehlot said.

The former Rajasthan chief minister reached the state capital Patna along with Congress’s Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru to meet the RJD leadership to work out disputes within the GA, which comprises the RJD, Congress, Left parties (CPI, CPI-M, CPI-ML Liberation) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP).

The talks focused on addressing overlapping candidatures on some seats, with the RJD announcing 143 candidates, Congress fielding nominees for 61 seats (down from 70 in 2020), and Left parties claiming around 33 seats.

The delay in finalising the seats had led to “friendly fights” in about a dozen-odd constituencies, including six seats where Congress and RJD candidates are pitted against each other, such as Vaishali, Narkatiaganj, Sikandra, Kahalgaon, Sultanganj and Warsaliganj.

The Congress is also contesting against CPI candidates on four seats, including Bachhwara, Rajapakar, Bihar Sharif and Karghar, for which the last date to withdraw nominations has already passed.

The Mukesh Sahani-led VIP and the RJD have also fielded candidates from Chainpur and Babubarhi assembly segments. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), an INDIA bloc partner, this week said it was withdrawing from six seats and blamed the RJD’S “political cunningness” for forcing its hand.

Gehlot referred to his “highly positive meeting” with Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi in a post on X.

“The INDIA alliance in Bihar is completely united and fighting the elections strongly. All issues will be clarified at tomorrow’s MGB press conference,” he said.

The veteran Congress leader also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of sponsoring a campaign “to create discord within the MGB and vitiate the atmosphere, portraying a false narrative of a split”.

“In 243 seats, local equations may lead to friendly fights on 5-7 seats, a negligible number hyped by the media. Bihar wants change, and the people understand that an MGB victory is in the state’s and nation’s interest,” he said.

Tejashwi, who is widely considered the coalition’s presumptive chief minister, echoed Gehlot’s sentiments, denying any disputes within the grouping and urging allies to withdraw candidates where RJD has staked claims.

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan mocked the MGB’s “friendly fights” as a boon for the ruling coalition.