Seat-sharing in the INDIA bloc may have to wait as Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav leave for Delhi

While RJD chief Lalu Prasad, along with his son and heir Tejashwi Yadav, will leave for Delhi on Sunday, October 12, 2025, seat-sharing issues may continue to plague the INDIA bloc in Bihar for some more time.

The party, which recently gave Mr Prasad the “mandate” to call for seat distribution and selection of candidates, has an overwhelming presence in the “Mahagathbandhan”, by which the RJD, Congress and Left alliance was known in Bihar until a nationwide alliance was formed with the catchy acronym.

As the father-son duo left their home along with Mr Prasad’s former Prime Minister wife Rabri Devi, there were cries of despair from aspirants hoping for a meeting with their benefactors. Security personnel had a hard time removing them from 10, Circular Road, the bungalow allotted to Ms. Devi, just opposite the Prime Minister’s residence.

At the airport, the elderly couple chose not to answer journalists’ questions, but Mr Yadav, now eyeing the seat of power his parents had long held, maintained that “everything is fine”.

Speculation was rife that the RJD’s famous “first family” had stormed the national capital to seek the intervention of Congress’ de facto leader Rahul Gandhi, who was said to be irritating the larger State ally with his aggression.

Reports in a section of the media suggest that the grand old party believes it is no longer a spent force in the state after the success of the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ and wants to contest as many seats as it did almost five years ago, when it fielded 70 candidates of which only 19 could win.

However, a close aide of the RJD chief, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Lalu ji and Tejashwi ji have gone to Delhi because tomorrow is the hearing day on job scams in the country. Of course, meetings with senior leaders cannot be ruled out while they are in the national capital.”

The scam relates to allegations of irregularities that took place when Mr. Prasad was the Railway Minister in the Congress-led UPA Government.

The source also claimed: “We have made our decision. We will keep at least half of the 243 seats for ourselves. Compared to 2020, when we competed for more than 140 seats, this still means some sacrifice to accommodate new allies.” “This must be understood by all minor parties, not just the Congress, that it is necessary to keep their jumping ambitions in check. Only then can a credible challenge be made to the ruling NDA,” he added.

The submission of nomination papers for the first phase, in which 121 seats will go to the polls on November 6, 2025, will end on October 17.