INDIA alliance kicks off Bihar election planning, names Tejashwi Yadav as head of coordination committee

The Opposition’s INDIA bloc held a crucial meeting in Patna on Thursday, lasting over three hours, to chart out its strategy for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Leaders from key alliance partners—the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, the Left, and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP)—came together, describing the outcome as a “win-win situation” for all.

Locally known as the Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance, the bloc made its first formal move toward election preparation by deciding to form a coordination committee headed by Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly. The committee will focus on framing a common minimum programme and shaping the alliance’s poll campaign. However, discussions around alliance leadership and seat sharing were deferred, according to sources.

“Congress managed to delay talks on leadership and seat-sharing, which worked in its favor, while the RJD succeeded in establishing a committee under Tejashwi’s leadership,” an RJD leader summarized.

A Congress functionary noted that clarity on the Patna meeting’s agenda came from Tejashwi Yadav’s earlier discussions with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. This meeting reportedly addressed RJD’s concerns about Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar’s ongoing “Palayan Roko, Naukri Do (Stop Migration, Provide Jobs)” campaign.

The newly formed committee, sources say, will handle key pre-election matters, such as seat distribution, campaign themes, and joint rallies. The choice of Tejashwi to head the panel indicates the RJD’s intent to position him as the chief ministerial candidate, though Congress leaders remain wary—particularly given the BJP’s attempt to revive the “Lalu-Rabri jungle raj” narrative.

RJD has also reminded its allies of the 2020 election missteps, implicitly pointing to the Congress contesting 70 out of 243 seats and managing to win only 19— the lowest success rate among Mahagathbandhan partners.

Meanwhile, Congress is using the delay in seat-sharing talks to strengthen its influence, especially as it builds momentum through aggressive outreach efforts like Kanhaiya Kumar’s yatra.

After the meeting, Tejashwi Yadav addressed the media, stating, “We deliberated on several matters and unanimously agreed to highlight issues such as unemployment and migration. Bihar has suffered under an unstable government for 13 years, largely due to Nitish Kumar’s betrayal of the public mandate and his frequent political flip-flops.”

Confirming the formation of the coordination panel, Krishna Allavaru, Congress’s in-charge for Bihar, said the group would meet regularly and remain focused on core issues. “We will not drift away from the themes of migration and joblessness,” he emphasized.

A notable development for the INDIA bloc was the participation of VIP chief Mukesh Sahani in the meeting. Despite speculation about his return to the NDA, Sahani chose to align with the Mahagathbandhan. His VIP party, which won four out of the 11 seats it contested as part of the NDA in 2020, had parted ways with the alliance prior to that election.

Sahani, who represents the Mallah community—classified as an Extremely Backward Class—asserted his commitment to advocating for a separate quota for the Nishad and related castes. “We raised these demands while in the NDA, even though it wasn’t welcomed. We will continue doing so,” he affirmed.

With key players now formally on board and planning underway, the INDIA alliance appears to be taking cautious but deliberate steps toward presenting a united front in Bihar’s high-stakes political contest.