Patna: Unity proclaimed before the ongoing Assembly elections by the Mahagathbandha, which is contesting together in Bihar, appears to be coming under strain as allies are locking horns on a number of constituencies.
Even though it is claimed that the Grand Alliance will put up a united fight, its candidates from the RJD, Congress, and Left parties are fighting against each other, exposing the fault lines of the alliance.
Ajay Kushwaha of the RJD will compete against Sanjeev Kumar of the Congress in Vaishali, while Arun Shah of the RJD will face VIP’s Sakaldev Bind in Tarapur. In Bachhwara, CPI’s Avdhesh Rai is taking on Congress’ Garib Das. The rejection of RJD candidate Afzal Ali’s nomination caused mayhem in the Gaurabauram seat. VIP leader Mukesh Sahni had brought his brother Santosh Sahni from here. Now, RJD’s Shivani Shukla takes on Congress’ Aditya Raja in this seat, while in Kahalgaon, RJD’s Rajnish Yadav — a resident of Jharkhand and son of a minister there — battles with Congress’ Praveen Kushwaha. Rajapakar and Rosra too have a typical battle here with CPI and Congress locked in competition.
These friction-marred internal battles take a toll on the Mahagathbandhan’s narrative of unity, and it ends up nonplussed. It also leads to votes being scattered as well as confuses their position vis-a-vis opponents.
Political analysts believe that such infighting could give encouragement to rivals like the BJP, seemingly making the most of the confusion. With Bihar witnessing electoral drama, here is where JDU-RJD’s strength to accommodate and strategise is under test.