“Not a friendly fight,” Paswan takes a dig at RJD seat distribution

Patna, Bihar: Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Tuesday took a sharp dig at the Opposition’s Grand Alliance in Bihar. He said politics does not allow “friendly fights” and added that the INDIA bloc has handed the NDA a walkover on several seats.

Paswan leads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), part of the NDA, and is contesting 29 seats in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The elections to the 243-member house will be held on November 6 and 11. Today marks the last day for filing nominations for the second phase of polling.

After the RJD announced its candidates for 143 seats, some overlapping with Congress picks, Paswan expressed concern over the opposition’s internal chaos. “I have never seen an election where such a big alliance is on the verge of a split,” he said. “There can be a dispute over seat allocation, but they cannot even agree on the number of seats.”

He warned that such disputes would split the Opposition vote. “There is nothing called a ‘friendly fight’. Either you are friends or you are fighting against each other. If you contest against each other and target each other’s leaders, this will impact other seats too,” Paswan said.

The NDA leader added that the Mahagathbandhan’s seat conflicts are benefitting his camp. “They will pay a big price for this. The NDA was progressing strongly, and now the opposition has given us a walkover on many seats that looked challenging,” he noted.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s party released its candidate list today. Analysts pointed out that tensions within the Mahagathbandhan are visible. RJD announced candidates in four constituencies where Congress had already named its nominees.

The Mahagathbandhan’s current seat-sharing plan lists RJD with 143 seats, Congress with 55, CPIML with 20, CPI with 6, CPM with 4, and VIP with 15. The Congress, however, had already declared candidates for 60 seats, indicating discrepancies and internal friction.

Paswan said he watches the opposition closely. He noted that infighting will reduce Mahagathbandhan’s appeal among voters. “When allies cannot even agree on seats, how can they unite against a strong NDA?” he asked.

The Lok Janshakti Party leader also underscored the strategic advantage for the NDA. “Some seats that appeared to be tough battles have become easier. This infighting is a gift to us,” he added.

Observers noted that the NDA could capitalize on these disputes, especially in constituencies where the opposition may end up contesting against its own allies. Analysts said such clashes could tilt results in favor of NDA candidates, giving them an early edge.

Paswan’s remarks signal a pre-election strategy to highlight the Opposition’s weaknesses and boost NDA morale. His comments also aim to consolidate voter confidence among undecided constituencies in Bihar.

With nomination deadlines closing today, political tensions are likely to rise further. Analysts say Mahagathbandhan must resolve its internal disputes quickly, or the NDA could secure decisive gains in the upcoming elections.