Confusion Persists in INDIA Bloc as Bihar Nomination Deadline Nears

Mangalore Today News Network

Patna, Oct 19, 2025: With just two days left for filing nominations for the second and final phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, confusion within the opposition INDIA bloc showed little sign of easing.

The multi-party coalition, which had attributed delays in finalising seat-sharing to the inclusion of new allies, suffered another setback on Saturday as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) announced it would contest six seats independently in Bihar.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), expected to contest the largest share of the 243 seats, continues to distribute tickets unilaterally, often against candidates of its allies. The Congress, which had earlier released a list of 48 candidates followed by a single announcement on Friday, unveiled another list of five names late Saturday evening.

Among the new Congress candidates is Qamrul Hoda, fielded from Kishanganj — a seat the party had held but where it dropped sitting MLA Ijharul Hussain. Hoda, who previously contested from the constituency on an AIMIM ticket, later joined the RJD before being nominated by the Congress. He is the second RJD leader to switch sides and contest on a Congress ticket, following Rishi Mishra, named earlier from Jale.

The Congress has also fielded Irfan Alam from Kasba, replacing four-term MLA Afaque Alam, reportedly to avoid friction with Purnea MP Pappu Yadav, under whose influence Irfan has risen. In Purnea, Jitendra Yadav, husband of the city’s mayor, has been given the ticket, while Gaya town will see Deputy Mayor Mahendra Kumar Srivastava contesting for the party.

Though the Congress is expected to contest fewer than the 70 seats it fought in 2020, the final tally remains uncertain. The party also faced internal dissent, with several disgruntled leaders in Patna accusing AICC Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru of “selling tickets.”

In at least eight constituencies, more than one INDIA bloc party has fielded candidates, with three potentially witnessing direct RJD-Congress contests. Tensions have also surfaced over the Kutumba seat, where Congress state president Rajesh Kumar Ram’s renomination reportedly clashes with RJD’s decision to field its own candidate.

Despite these fissures, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury expressed optimism, saying, “We are close to reaching an agreement. Of course, there is some mismatch between demand and supply, but things should become clearer by the time nominations close.”

Meanwhile, the ruling NDA has not been free from internal adjustments. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), contesting 101 seats — the same as ally BJP — replaced its Amour candidate at the last minute, dropping Saba Zafar for former Rajya Sabha MP Sabir Ali. The move is notable as Ali had been expelled from the JD(U) in 2014 for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom Nitish Kumar had then opposed.

Both alliances now face the challenge of presenting a united front as Bihar heads into the final leg of the high-stakes assembly polls.