The Mahagathbandhan, the opposition coalition in Bihar – including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and Left parties – on Friday announced that the RJD, its largest constituent, will contest 26 out of the state’s 40 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress will contest nine seats, followed by CPI(ML) 3 and CPI and CPI(M) one each.

Party-wise seat distribution: CPM – Khagaria; CPI – Begusarai; CPI (ML) – Ara, Karakat, Nalanda; Congress – Kishanganj, Katihar, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, West Champaran, Patna Sahib, Sasaram, Maharajganj; RJD – Gaya, Nawada, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Buxar, Patliputra, Munger, Jamui, Banka, Valmikinagar, East Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Vaishali, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Ujiarpur, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Madhepura, Purnea, Araria, Hajipur.

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The seat-sharing talks between the Congress and RJD in Bihar were stuck mainly over the Purnea seat. Former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who recently merged his Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) into Congress, was adamant on contesting from Purnea. He claimed that he had received assurance of Congress ticket from Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.

However, as per the announcement, the Congress has been made to give up the Purnea Lok Sabha seat. The seat will be contested by RJD, which recently gave the party ticket to JD(U) turncoat Bima Bharti, but stopped short announcing it formally, PTI reported.

The Mahagathbandhan’s seat-sharing announcement comes a day after the filing of nomination papers for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls was over.

The RJD has fielded its candidates in all four seats going to polls in the first phase, in what has been resented by allies as a “unilateral move”.

Also Read: Lok Sabha Elections 2024: JD(U) releases names of candidates for all 16 seats in Bihar

The Mahagathbandhan press conference was scheduled to be addressed by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who, however, remained absent.

RJD national spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, who spoke at the press conference, said names of candidates would be announced soon in seats where the same has not been done already. Jha, while addressing the media alongside state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh and other coalition allies, emphasised, “We have arrived at a unanimous decision and we will win.”

Notably, CPI and CPI(M) have already announced their candidates for Begusarai and Khagaria respectively.

(With inputs from PTI)