Bihar Opposition Dodges Bullet As Key Ally Agrees To Settle For 15 Seats

Mukesh Sahni's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) has agreed to contest in 15 seats in the Bihar assembly election, ending the suspense over the coalition's final shape just weeks before voting begins. Sahni said his party had been promised one Rajya Sabha and two MLC seats as part of the deal to remain with the Mahagathbandhan.

Sahni thanked CPI(ML) leader Dipanka Bhattacharya for the breakthrough in negotiations. The VIP leader also wrote to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, after which Gandhi spoke to leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

The exact details of the seat-sharing arrangement is likely to be released soon, sources said.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has already filed nomination from the party's stronghold, Raghopur constituency.

Sahni, 44, is a key figure in the vibrant tapestry of Bihar's political landscape where caste and community often intertwine to shape electoral fortunes. He earlier sought at least 24 seats - which indicated not just a negotiation for power, but a deeper quest for recognition and representation of the fishermen and boatmen communities in Bihar.

While seat-sharing talks were going on, speculation was high that the VIP leader would exit the Mahagathbandhan if things did not work out the way he wanted. The latest announcement has put a full stop on this buzz.

Once heralded as a rising star, Sahni was dismissed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from the Bihar cabinet in 2022 when he was the animal husbandry and fisheries minister. The reason cited was his constant attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Sahni seems to have limited options today: either remain as a unit of the Mahagathbandhan, or contest alone with some other smaller grouping and most likely end up in political oblivion.

With the Sahni trouble behind, the Mahagathbandhan is set for the big contest. Apart from the BJP, the Opposition alliance also faces Prashant Kishor's new outfit, Jan Suraaj Party. Prashant Kishor himself is not contesting the election.

The two-phase voting in Bihar is on November 6 and 11. Counting is on November 14.