Lalu Prasad Yadav Allocates Party Tickets Ahead of Official Seat Distribution

Lalu Prasad Yadav's Early Ticket Distribution

Lalu Prasad Yadav, the leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has already assigned party tickets to his preferred candidates prior to the formal announcement of seat allocations. Upon his arrival in Patna on Monday, a large crowd gathered outside his residence. It has been reported that several potential candidates began arriving after receiving phone calls from the party, and shortly thereafter, they were seen exiting with the RJD's election symbol.

Candidates and Internal Discontent

According to available information, Sunil Singh, who left the Janata Dal (United) from Parbatta, and former MLA Narendra Kumar Singh, also known as Bogo, have been awarded tickets. However, this decision has reportedly upset Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu's son and the leader of the Grand Alliance. He halted the ticket distribution late at night and requested those who received symbols to return them.

Concerns Over Coalition Dynamics

Tejashwi expressed to his father that there has not yet been an agreement on seat sharing within the coalition, and the emergence of candidates' images and videos could send the wrong message to allied parties. It is noteworthy that Lalu has previously distributed tickets before reaching a coalition consensus, although last time, the Congress and left parties eventually reached an agreement.

Discussions with Congress Leaders

On Monday evening, Tejashwi Yadav met with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to discuss seat distribution. The meeting also included K.C. Venugopal and Krishna Allavaru, the Bihar Congress in-charge. Sources indicate that the formal announcement regarding seat sharing from the Grand Alliance could be made by Tuesday evening, as Tejashwi is set to file his nomination from Raghopur on Wednesday.

Election Details and Seat Allocation

Reports suggest that this time, Congress may receive fewer seats compared to the previous election. Meanwhile, the NDA, comprising the JD(U) and BJP, will contest 101 seats each, while Chirag Paswan's party will contest 29 seats. The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled to take place in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the counting of votes set for November 14.