Bihar Polls: Tejashwi Yadav Meets Kharge, Rahul Gandhi For Discussions, Seat-sharing talks underway

New Delhi/Patna, April 15 (IANS) In a key move to bolster the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections slated for late this year, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi in the national capital on Tuesday.

Following the meeting, Tejashwi Yadav described the interaction as “positive” and emphasised unity within the opposition bloc.

“We discussed the strategy for the Bihar Assembly election 2025. The atmosphere was positive. A follow-up meeting will be held on April 17 in Patna with our Left allies, including CPI-ML, CPI, and CPI-M, to finalise the strategy,” he told reporters.

He reiterated the Mahagathbandhan’s readiness, stating: “We are fully prepared and will contest with full strength. The people of Bihar have decided to change the government.”

Congress chief Kharge took to X to echo Tejashwi Yadav’s sentiments and claim a shift in the political momentum in Bihar.

“Today, we met Bihar’s former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, and the meeting was positive. This time, change is certain in Bihar. In the coming elections, we will offer a strong, just, and welfare-based alternative for the people of Bihar. Bihar will be freed from BJP and its opportunistic thug alliance,” he posted.

He asserted that the youth, farmers and backward and marginalised sections of society are all looking to the Mahagathbandhan for governance.

Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal, RJD Rajya Sabha members Sanjay Yadav, and Manoj Kumar Jha, Congress’s Bihar in charge Krishna Allavaru and other leaders were also present in the meeting.

While leaders did not disclose specific details, sources confirm that seat-sharing negotiations were a key issue in the meeting.

In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the RJD contested 144 of the total 243 seats and won 75, the Congress contested 70 seats and won 19, the CPI-ML contested 19 seats and won 12, the CPI and the CPI-M contested on 6 and 4 seats, respectively.

The Congress’s underperformance last time has led to calls within the RJD and Left circles to revise the allocation for 2025 to better reflect ground realities.

–IANS

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