With the Grand Alliance in Bihar failing to reach a consensus, analysis of the candidate lists shows direct contests on 11 seats within the bloc, exposing divisions within the opposition.
The disarray in opposition ranks, coming just a fortnight before the first phase of the Bihar polls, has drawn criticism from the NDA and remarks from Chirag Paswan.
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While the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress are locked in direct contests on six seats, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Congress will face each other on four. Mukesh Sahani's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and the RJD will clash on one seat, Chainpur.
The picture became clearer after the RJD released its list of 143 candidates on Monday, which included six seats where Congress has also fielded candidates. These seats are Vaishali, Sikandra, Kahalgaon, Sultanganj, Narkatiaganj, and Warsaliganj.
The cloud of uncertainty is expected to clear by October 23, the last date for withdrawal of candidature for the second phase of polling.
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