INDIA Bloc's Key Meeting In Bihar Ahead Of Polls: What Was Discussed Behind Doors?

Days after meeting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Tejashwi Yadav met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) convened a high-level strategy meeting on Thursday at the RJD's headquarters in Patna on Thursday.

Who All Attended The Closed Door Meeting?

The closed-door meeting lasted over three hours, bringing together leaders from major opposition parties to chart out the alliance's roadmap for the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls. Apart from the RJD and the Congress, the Left, and Mukesh Sahani's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) took part in the meeting.

RJD leader and Leader of Opposition in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, spoke about the key issues affecting the state in the meeting.

"The first meeting of Mahagathbandhan was held today on the situation in Bihar. We discussed matters related to poverty, unemployment and migration," the RJD leader told reporters.

Yadav said that the NDA government in Bihar is facing public anger. "There is a lot of anger among the people of Bihar against the government, which has been in power for the last 20 years. Bihar is number one in crime, unemployment and migration of labour. There is no law and order in the state. PM Modi and the Home Minister keep coming to Bihar, and they should answer what is happening in Bihar....The real double engine in Bihar is - crime and corruption," he added.

Yadav To Head Coordination Committee

In the meeting, the INDIA bloc alliance has decided to form a Coordination Committee which will be headed by Tejashwi Yadav. He stated that the alliance would become the "voice of the people" and hold PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and CM Nitish Kumar accountable on core issues, according to a report in PTI.

Who WIll Be INDIA Bloc's CM Face?

The Congress has managed to delay talks over the person who will be leading the alliance in Bihar even as the RJD wants Yadav to be projected as the CM face. "While the Congress succeeded by delaying talks over leadership and seat sharing, the RJD was successful in setting up the coordination committee under Tejashwi's leadership," an RJD leader told The Indian Express.

Congress, VIP Confirm Commitment to Alliance

Congress' Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, said that the committee will oversee campaign planning, coordination at district and block levels, and help frame a common minimum programme and manifesto. "The Mahagathbandhan will be the voice of the people and will hold the BJP, Amit Shah, and CM Nitish Kumar accountable," Allavaru affirmed.

However, the parties did not talk about seat-sharing issue during the meeting, Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan said.

Mukesh Sahani, leader of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), reaffirmed his party's participation in the alliance and the newly formed committee. "We will fight together under Tejashwi's leadership. This time, Bihar will get a government rooted in Lalu ji's ideology," Sahani told ANI. It may be recalled that he had left the Mahagathbandhan ahead of 2020 polls and joined the NDA.

The alliance also decided to intensify its grassroots mobilisation efforts. District-level meetings will be held with presidents from each allied party, followed by block and booth-level coordination meetings.

As the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 approach, the Mahagathbandhan aims to project itself as a united and people-centric alternative to the ruling coalition, focusing on governance failures, economic distress, and public discontent.

How Opposition Parties Performed In 2020?

In the last election, the RJD had contested 144 seats out of which it won 75 seats, the Congress contested in 70 seats and won just 11. The Left parties contested in 29 seats and won 11 seats.