The Congress is set to hold its Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting in Delhi on Wednesday, even as seat-sharing talks within the opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections remain deadlocked.

Senior leaders, including Bihar screening committee chairman Ajay Maken, will deliberate over more than 50 seats. The decision to hold the key meeting comes as a strategic move to exert pressure within the alliance and to underscore that Congress is “battle ready” for the high-stakes elections.

A party source told India Today that the Congress is intent on avoiding last-minute setbacks amid the ongoing hurdles.

“Despite the prevailing confusion over seat allocation, Congress’s decision to conduct its major meeting in Delhi sends a clear message to its allies,” the source said. “There is no tokenism regarding the CEC’s proceedings, the seats cleared by the committee will be the ones we contest, with no turning back.”

VIP STAKES CLAIM

The CEC meeting coincides with a third round of alliance discussions at Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav’s residence in Patna, which extended late into Tuesday night, with representatives from the RJD, Congress, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), and CPI(M) in attendance.

A leader involved in the discussions told India Today that the VIP was demanding over 40 seats, questioning Congress’s claim to as many as 60 seats given its limited ground presence.

“(VIP founder Mukesh) Sahani argued that the Mallah community stands firmly behind him and that his support would be crucial in bringing the opposition bloc to power by consolidating Mallah votes. He deserves recognition. So why should Congress make such a large claim?” the leader remarked.

As per reports, there were also tense exchanges between VIP and Congress representatives, with the latter insisting that their recent performance and Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ had reinvigorated the opposition over the past six months.

SEAT-SHARING: STRATEGIC BARGAINING

Meanwhile, another Congress leader said the ongoing seat-sharing impasse may be part of a broader bargaining strategy, with smaller allies targeting Congress.

“It is believed that the RJD may have an understanding with some of these smaller parties, encouraging them to push for a larger share in order to reduce Congress’s claim,” the leader said.

“Parties like the VIP have only a few viable candidates, and the RJD may be looking to field its own leaders in the constituencies that Sahani is demanding.”

Despite the tensions, Congress remains firm in its stance. While open to accommodating its new allies, the party insists that both the RJD and Congress must share responsibility equally—particularly in terms of the proportion of seats each is willing to concede.

Bolstering its confidence, Congress has also advanced its candidate selection process through the CEC.

The party has already completed an exhaustive screening exercise and prepared a candidate list for over 70 seats.

– Ends

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