Seat-sharing talks within the Mahagathbandhan alliance have hit a major roadblock ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, with multiple partners at loggerheads over seat distribution. A late-night meeting between RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani reportedly ended without any breakthrough, deepening the crisis within the opposition bloc.

According to India TV sources, Mukesh Sahani is demanding 20 seats, but the RJD, Congress, and Left parties are unwilling to offer more than 12 to 15. The disagreement has left the alliance scrambling for a compromise, even as the poll dates inch closer.

At the same time, RJD and Congress are also locked in a separate tussle over seat-sharing. The Congress, which has already held multiple internal consultations, has warned the RJD that if an agreement is not reached soon, it will start announcing its own candidates from October 13.

The Congress screening committee is scheduled to hold an online meeting today to finalise its candidate list, with the Central Election Committee (CEC) set to approve it on October 11. Party sources said October 12 will be the final deadline to wait for a seat-sharing consensus before it begins filing nominations independently.

Adding to the tensions, senior Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, Jairam Ramesh, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury—who were on a one-day visit to Bihar—could not meet RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav or Tejashwi Yadav last night, signalling a widening communication gap between the two major allies.

Insiders say the Congress is pressing for key RJD-held constituencies like Bisfi, Bihar Sharif, and Nirmali, offering to exchange weaker seats in return. However, these constituencies are currently with smaller Mahagathbandhan partners, complicating negotiations further.

Meanwhile, the RJD wants the Congress to part with the Kahalgaon seat in Bhagalpur, which the latter has firmly refused. The RJD is also eyeing four seats from the Left parties, including Paliganj, Ghosi, and Tarari, currently held by CPI-ML. In response, CPI-ML has demanded three RJD seats, including the high-profile Imamganj.

The RJD has additionally asked the CPI to give up the Rupauli seat, while the Congress is pushing for Bachhwara, previously contested by the CPM.