The Congress Party is likely to contest around 60 seats in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections 2025 as part of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other allies, according to India TV sources. An official announcement on the final seat-sharing arrangement is expected on Tuesday.
As per party insiders, discussions between the Congress and the RJD have been completed smoothly, with no major disputes reported. However, sources added that some disagreements remain between the RJD and smaller alliance partners, particularly Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP).
On Monday evening, RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav held a meeting with senior Congress leaders, including General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal and Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi. Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram was also present during the discussions. Although Tejashwi was scheduled to meet Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the meeting could not take place.
The Congress is expected to contest fewer seats than it did in the 2020 Assembly elections, when it fielded candidates in 70 constituencies but managed to win only 19. The RJD, on the other hand, contested 144 seats and won 75, emerging as the largest party in the 243-member Assembly.
While the Mahagathbandhan has yet to publicly declare its seat-sharing formula, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has already finalised its own. Both the JD(U) and the BJP will contest 101 seats each, while LJP (Ram Vilas), led by Chirag Paswan, will field candidates in 29 seats. HAM(S) led by Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLM headed by Upendra Kushwaha will contest six seats each.
The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases — November 6 and 11, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 14. As nomination deadlines approach, all eyes are on the Grand Alliance’s next move as it prepares to take on the NDA in what is shaping up to be one of Bihar’s most closely watched electoral battles.
