Bihar: Opposition inks pact for one-on-one contest against NDA

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Congress gets nine Lok Sabha seats in Opposition pact in Bihar

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, The Indian National Developmental and Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Friday announced seat adjustment for Bihar for the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress will be contesting nine Lok Sabha seats. The Left party, the CPI (ML), bagged three Lok Sabha seats within the Opposition block.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has got the lion’s share in the seat pact. The RJD will be contesting 26 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. The Opposition block clinched the seat adjustment pact after protracted negotiations.

The Congress was brought to agree to the pact with an offer of seats in Jharkhand. The RJD has assured that the Congress will contest two Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand, sources said. The Congress failed to get Purnea Lok Sabha seat.

Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav had recently joined the Congress. He hails from Purnea region in the Seemanchal area of Bihar. He was staking claims on the Purnea Lok Sabha seat. Pappu Yadav also had claims on the Madhepura Lok Sabha seat. But the RJD will contest from the Madhepura Lok Sabha seat.

Also Read: NDA pushes Brahmins on margins of Bihar politics

Ranjeeta Ranjan is the wife of Pappu Yadav. She is currently a Rajya Sabha MP. But she had won the Lok Sabha election from Supaul parliamentary seat. This constituency also has gone to the RJD.

The Congress seems to have been handed over the minority dominated constituencies. The Lok Sabha seats of Kishanganj, Katihar, and Bhagalpur have a sizable minority vote base. Also, the Congress will contest from Sasaram Lok Sabha seat. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar represented the Sasaram Lok Sabha seat in the past. The Congress has also been given the Lok Sabha seats of Patna Sahib, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj, West Champaran, and Samastipur.

The CPI (ML) will be contesting three Lok Sabha seats in the party’s pocketborough. The CPI (ML) will contest from Arrah, Karakat, and Nalanda Lok Sabha seats.

Also Read: Ghost of 2020 awaits Chirag Paswan in Bihar poll battlefield

The Opposition block, thus, has finalized the pact to force a one-on-one contest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Bihar will join a few states such as Delhi, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu where a one-on-one contest against the NDA is now on the card.

The Opposition failed to get the objective for one-on-one contest against the NDA in several states. West Bengal is bracing for a multi-cornered contest. Punjab will also witness a multipolar contest. Uttar Pradesh also will witness at least a three-cornered contest in the Lok Sabha elections.

Also Read: ‘Geriatric’ BJP in Bihar needs Nitish Kumar crutch for Lok Sabha elections

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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