As seat-sharing negotiations continue to stall within Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan ahead of the state Assembly elections, Congress leaders on Friday indicated that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav is likely to be the opposition alliance’s chief ministerial candidate.

Speaking to reporters, Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh emphasised that while discussions over constituency allocations are still underway, the alliance remains committed to presenting a united front against the ruling BJP-JD(U) coalition. “Tejashwi Yadav is the CM face of the Mahagathbandhan. Seat-sharing is being finalised and will be completed shortly,” Singh said.

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel sought to allay concerns over the alliance’s internal dynamics. “Everything will be fine. There is no problem. Everything is running smoothly,” he told reporters in Patna.

Despite these assurances, internal disagreements persist, particularly over how seats are distributed among alliance partners. The Congress party released its first list of 48 candidates on Thursday, yet the proposal has reportedly upset Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani, who has expressed dissatisfaction with the allocation formula.

Congress MP Tariq Anwar from Katihar also weighed in on the CM question, noting, “I think there is no harm in declaring Tejashwi Yadav as the Mahagathbandhan CM candidate.” Anwar admitted that delays in finalising the seat-sharing agreement have caused some friction within the alliance. “He [Sahani] is upset. I think we also made a mistake. We had ample time, and things should have been decided earlier,” he said.