The seat-sharing agreement within the INDIA Alliance was finalised late Thursday night, after prolonged bargaining that stretched to the last moment, leaving candidates with only a single day to file nomination papers for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections 2025. The deadline for nominations was Friday.
In the final arrangement, Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) was allotted only 15 seats, a significant drop from the 40 he had demanded. Disappointed by the delay and outcome, Sahani announced that he will not contest the election himself this time.
However, it remains unclear how many seats the RJD, Congress, and Left parties will contest. So far, the Congress has released a list of 48 candidates, while the RJD announced nominees for 46 seats.
The RJD list features a mix of veteran leaders and fresh faces. Notably, Bhojpuri film star Khesari Lal Yadav has been fielded from Chhapra, adding celebrity appeal to the party’s campaign. As expected, Tejashwi Yadav will contest from his traditional stronghold of Raghopur.
The inclusion of a film star has sparked political discussions, with observers seeing it as an attempt to energise younger voters and increase visibility.
Meanwhile, discontent has surfaced within the Congress. Several leaders have publicly criticised the ticket distribution process.
Senior leader and Katihar MP Tariq Anwar expressed his displeasure on social media, writing on X, “Former MLA Gajanand Shahi lost the last election by only 113 votes, yet was denied a ticket. Meanwhile, candidates who lost by over 30,000 votes have been renominated.”
The last-minute finalisation also led to confusion on the ground. In several constituencies, both Congress and other alliance partners filed nominations, causing clashes over seats and coordination breakdowns.
On Friday, six VIP candidates filed nominations for the first phase, including Bhogendra Sahani (Aurai), Rakesh Kumar (Baruraj), Umesh Sahani (Darbhanga Urban), Ganesh Bharti (Kusheshwar Asthan), Naveen Nishad (Alamnagar) and Mukesh Sahani’s brother Santosh Sahani (Gaurabauram).
Mukesh Sahani, who accompanied his brother Santosh Sahani for filing nomination from Gaurabauram, said that while he is stepping back from contesting, he will campaign strongly to ensure the INDIA bloc forms the next government in Bihar.
VIP national spokesperson Dev Jyoti said the party will contest the election with full strength and remains committed to representing the poor, Dalits, and marginalised communities. He asserted that Bihar’s voters are ready for a change.
Meanwhile, the Congress released a list of 40 star campaigners, which includes Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, and state unit presidents from Congress-ruled states are also expected to campaign in Bihar.