Tejashwi to lead Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan

PATNA: The opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar sought to steal a march over the ruling NDA on Saturday when it announced its seat-sharing formula as part of which the RJD, spearheading the coalition, will contest on 144 seats. The coalition members also endorsed RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav as its face though a minor constituent of the multi-party formation announced a sudden exit alleging betrayal. At a press conference here, Yadav announced the number of seats assigned to the Congress, the CPI(ML), the CPI(M) and the CPI and disclosed that his party was getting the lions share of 144 seat.

PATNA: The opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar sought to steal a march over the ruling NDA on Saturday when it announced its seat-sharing formula as part of which the RJD, spearheading the coalition, will contest on 144 seats.

The coalition members also endorsed RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav as its face though a minor constituent of the multi-party formation announced a sudden exit alleging betrayal.

At a press conference here, Yadav announced the number of seats assigned to the Congress,

the CPI(ML), the CPI(M) and the CPI and disclosed that his party was getting the lions share of 144 seat.

Among other allies, Congress has been given 70 seats, far more than it had contested in the 2015 assembly polls in alliance with the RJD and Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U).

The Congress will also be fielding its candidate in Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat where by-poll will be held on November 7.

Among the Left parties, the CPI(ML) has been given 19 seats, followed by CPI (six) and four seats to CPI(M).

Lalu Prasad’s party will be accommodating ally in adjoining Jharkhand the JMM and Vikashheel Insaan Party (VIP), its coalition partner since the Lok Sabha polls last year, from its own quota of constituencies.

Bihar has a 243-member Assembly. The RJD had won 81 seats in 2015 while Congress had bagged 27 seats.

Yadav said that the party will declare the seats it will be giving to the two parties from its quota in a few days.

Former Bollywood set designer Mukesh Sahni, popularly known by the sobriquet “Son of Mallah”, fumed after other leaders had left the venue “we have been stabbed in the back.

“It is hereby announced that my Vikassheel Insaan Party will not be a part of an alliance wherein the trust reposed by us has been betrayed and we have not been accorded due respect”.

Prior to the dramatic turn of events, which was marked by VIP supporters venting their ire by vandalising flower vases and raising slogans against the RJD, leaders of the grand alliance which was supposed to have six constituents sought to present a picture of mutual trust and amity.

Congress leader Avinash Pandey, while backing Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial candidate, showered praises on the former Deputy CM for having taken on Narendra Modi-led BJP at a tender age in the assembly polls held five years ago.

The coalition members also endorsed RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav as its face though a minor constituent of the formation announced a sudden exit