Patna: With the official nomination process for the high-stakes Bankipur assembly by-election underway, intense political drama has erupted within Bihar's opposition coalition. The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) has plunged into a major crisis following the Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) unilateral announcement of Rekha Gupta as its official candidate for the seat. The sudden move has provoked a scathing reaction from the Congress party, exposing deep structural cracks in the alliance just as the electoral battle begins.Congress Rejects RJD's Claim, Cites Historic DominanceExpressing extreme displeasure over the nomination, Congress state spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari launched a direct attack on the RJD on Tuesday, accusing the party of completely violating coalition dharma. Tiwari pointed out that the RJD has a historically dismal track record in the constituency and has never actually won the Bankipur seat.Delving into historical data, the Congress leader reminded the alliance partner that prior to the 1995 delimitation—when the Bankipur assembly segment was recognized as Patna West—the Congress party had successfully won the seat three times. He further noted that even Left parties had emerged victorious twice in the region. Tiwari strongly objected to RJD projecting Rekha Gupta as the collective "Grand Alliance" face, stating that foundational alliance principles were aggressively sidelined.RJD Hits Back: "Ground Reality is Clear to Everyone"The RJD moved quickly to counter the Congress party's public outburst, standing firm on its electoral strategy. Senior RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari dismissed rumors of deep-seated resentment, stating that all coalition partners are thoroughly aware of the ground realities and structural strengths of individual parties in the region.Defending the candidature, the RJD highlighted that Rekha Gupta was the party's official face during the 2025 assembly elections as well. Since Bankipur has traditionally been contested by the RJD within the alliance framework, the party naturally retained its claim over the seat. The dispute escalated after RJD State President Mangani Lal Mandal officially declared Gupta's name, confidently asserting that all alliance partners would cooperate—a claim that Congress has now openly challenged.High-Level Meetings Dynamic: The NDA Factoring InAs the Grand Alliance grapples with internal conflict, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is busy fine-tuning its counter-strategy. While the BJP is yet to officially declare its candidate for the Bankipur seat, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has reportedly called an emergency high-level meeting.Senior leader Nitish Kumar is also expected to attend the strategy session. Political insiders suggest that the NDA is not only focusing on exploiting the public RJD-Congress rift but is also closely mapping out a robust response to counter the growing influence of Prashant Kishor's (PK) political front in the upcoming by-poll battle.
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