Rift in Mahagathbandhan over Bhabhua Assembly seat

The discontent within the Mahagathbandhan came to the fore on Tuesday when Congress Legislature Party leader Sadanand Singh asserted that his party will contest the Bhabhua Assembly seat no matter what, even if it has to fight against ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for it.

Interestingly, the RJD staked claim on all three seats with newly appointed RJD vice-president and former Bihar CM Rabri Devi "positive of the party candidates winning all the seats."

By-polls for the three seats - one Lok Sabha (Araria) and two Vidhan Sabha (Bhabhua and Jehanabad) - will be held on March 11. While Araria and Jehanabad were represented by RJD's Taslimuddin and Mundrika Yadav respectively, Bhabhua was represented by BJP's Anand Bhushan Pandey and the seats fell vacant after the legislators' deaths.

In 2015, the JD (U), then a part of the Mahagathbandhan, had fielded its candidate on the Bhabhua seat though BJP's Pandey had wrestled it. "However, keeping in mind the political equations now, the Congress should contest on the seat. We are not concerned about the decisions taken by other parties. We are in a position to contest and win the Bhabhua seat individually," Singh told media persons.

Singh said, "The RJD has gone against the Mahagathbandhan-dharma in announcing that it will contest all three seats as such decisions should not be taken unilaterally. We will request the party high command to allow us to contest even if the RJD fields its candidate on the seat."

The assertion of the Congress, which is bouyed by the results of the Rajasthan by-poll, is being seen as the party getting ready to bargain seats with RJD for the general elections next year.

However, the RJD retaliated to Singh's remarks saying he should first have talked to them if the Congress wanted to contest on any of the seats. Senior leaders of the RJD met in Patna on Tuesday to discuss the probable candidates for the three seats.

The NDA in Bihar too is witnessing a duel for the Jehanabad seat with its allies HAM-S and RLSP both staking claim to it. Its only respite comes from ally JD (U), which has announced not to contest any of the three seats.

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The NDA in Bihar too is witnessing a duel for the Jehanabad seat with its allies HAM-S and RLSP both staking claim to it. Its only respite comes from ally JD (U), which has announced not to contest any of the three seats.