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Join NowBihar Assembly Election: The political stage in Bihar is turning into a theatre of the absurd, but the drama isn’t between the government and the opposition. In a shocking and potentially self-destructive turn of events, the much-touted Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) is imploding from within. The long-simmering dispute over seat-sharing has now exploded into open warfare, with key allies Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) fielding their candidates against each other on at least half a dozen crucial assembly seats.
The alliance, forged to present a united front, is now watching its own members engage in a bitter “friendly fire,” creating massive confusion and chaos on the ground and threatening to hand victory to their opponents on a silver platter.
The Flashpoint: Betrayal in Vaishali and Lalganj
The first signs of this internal collapse became glaringly obvious in the Vaishali constituency. On November 15th, Congress candidate Sanjeev Kumar officially filed his nomination papers. Just two days later, in a stunning act of defiance, RJD’s Ajay Kushwaha filed his nomination for the very same seat.
This has left party workers in a state of utter bewilderment. They are now faced with an impossible choice: whose campaign should they support? Whose flags should they carry? Who is their real candidate?
“I will contest this election under any circumstances and will not agree to any kind of compromise,” declared a defiant Sanjeev Kumar, signaling that Congress is not backing down.
The same script is playing out in the nearby Lalganj seat. Here, the RJD has fielded Shivani Shukla, daughter of the infamous strongman leader Munna Shukla. But refusing to concede the seat, Congress has put forward Aditya Kumar Raja as their candidate. In a further twist, prominent leader and MP Pappu Yadav was present during Raja’s nomination, adding another layer of complexity to the battle.
A Growing List of Friendly-Fire Contests
This isn’t an isolated incident. The contagion of conflict is spreading across multiple constituencies, exposing the deep fractures within the opposition alliance:
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1. Vaishali Assembly: A direct, head-on clash between Congress’s Sanjeev Kumar and RJD’s Ajay Kushwaha.
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2. Lalganj Assembly (Vaishali District): RJD’s Shivani Shukla is locking horns with Congress’s Aditya Kumar Raja.
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3. Bachhwara Assembly (Begusarai): The Left Front (KIP – Kisan Insan Party) has fielded Avdhesh Kumar Rai, while Congress has put up Shiv Prakash Garibdas, questioning the unity of the entire alliance.
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4. Gaura Bauram Assembly (Darbhanga): This seat has become a hotbed of controversy. RJD’s Afzal Ali Khan has filed his papers, but so has Santosh Sahani of the VIP party—brother of founder Mukesh Sahani. With both RJD and VIP being part of the Mahagathbandhan, this is a major embarrassment.
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5. Rosera Assembly (Samastipur): Here, the Left and Congress are at odds, with CPI’s Laxman Paswan contesting against Congress’s V. K. Ravi, creating a deeply uncomfortable situation.
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6. Kahalgaon Assembly: The battle lines are drawn again, with RJD naming Rajnish Yadav as their candidate while Congress has declared Praveen Kushwaha as theirs. Nominations are yet to be filed, but a clash looks inevitable.
Ambition and Chaos: The Self-Destruction of the Opposition
Political analysts are calling this a classic case of political self-sabotage. “The complete lack of coordination during seat-sharing talks and the towering ambitions of regional leaders have critically weakened the Mahagathbandhan’s unity,” one analyst commented.
Sources reveal that despite numerous attempts to broker a compromise behind closed doors, both parties ultimately decided to issue party symbols to their respective candidates, effectively greenlighting this internal war. If this situation persists, the dream of a united opposition challenge could turn into a nightmare of mutual destruction, potentially leading to catastrophic losses in these regions.
