Major Bihar parties grapple with rising seat demands from smaller allies. Congress, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), and Left parties are demanding more seats, potentially reducing the number of seats available to larger parties.
Bihar: Both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) in Bihar are facing challenges due to escalating demands from their smaller allies. These demands pose a significant challenge to the electoral equation. Congress, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), and the Left parties are all pressuring the larger parties to increase their seat allocations. Meeting these demands could reduce the number of seats for the larger parties, while ignoring them risks these smaller parties switching to the opposing camp.
Congress's rising demands and the Chief Minister selection issue
Currently, a major point of discussion within the Congress party concerns the selection of the Chief Minister in Bihar. Congress, an ally of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has altered its stance, explicitly stating that the Chief Minister will be chosen in a meeting of the legislative party. This statement diverges from the traditional RJD view, which has consistently favored Tejashwi Yadav as Chief Minister. Simultaneously, Congress is demanding a larger number of seats in the upcoming elections.
Congress is concerned that the inclusion of the VIP in the alliance might reduce its seat allocation. The 70 seats Congress received in the previous election remain a significant point of concern.
Vikassheel Insaan Party's demands
The VIP has clearly stated its demands: 40 seats in exchange for its leader, Mukesh Sahni, becoming Deputy Chief Minister and the party wielding influence over government policies.
If the seat demands of Congress and VIP are met, the Mahagathbandhan could potentially secure 110 seats. The remaining 133 seats would then be divided between the RJD and the Left parties.
Left parties and seat allocation
The Left parties are demanding 29 seats. Considering the demands of Congress and VIP, the RJD might be left with only 103 seats. This would represent a significant loss of 41 seats compared to the previous election, potentially a major setback for the RJD.
Seat allocation difficulties within the NDA as well
NDA allies, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), are also demanding more seats this time. The LJP, which contested the last election independently, is now poised to complicate matters for the NDA. Similarly, HAM is demanding over 20 seats, a significant increase from the 7 seats it received previously.
