INDIA bloc's Bihar seat-sharing talks hit as smaller allies seek bigger pie

The Grand Alliance's seat-sharing negotiations for the November Bihar elections have hit a snag, with smaller but key allies like Mukesh Sahni's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and the Left pushing for a larger allocation. In fact, Sahani, who rejoined the Grand Alliance ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls after ditching the NDA, demanded that he be declared the deputy chief ministerial face, sources said.

The biggest player in the game, the RJD, has been trying to strike the right balance, even as it struggles to divide seats among its allies – an ambitious Congress, a restless VIP, a determined CPI(ML), and other smaller partners.

The stakes are high, and that could be gauged by the fact that a second round of talks in Patna turned into a marathon session that stretched till 4 am a