With the Bihar Assembly elections drawing closer, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress are set to hold a crucial meeting on Tuesday, April 15, to finalize seat-sharing arrangements and strengthen their alliance within the INDIA bloc. The meeting will take place at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi, RJD MP Manoj Jha confirmed on Monday.
“This is a formal meeting to discuss the political scenario in Bihar. RJD remains Congress’s oldest ally in the state, and with elections about 6-8 months away, it’s important to align strategies,” Jha told ANI.
The high-level discussion comes amid increasing political activity in Bihar. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is also scheduled to address a public rally in Buxar on April 20, further signaling the party’s growing focus on the state.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar has been actively highlighting the issue of youth migration from Bihar through his ongoing ‘Naukri Do’ campaign. The rally, aimed at demanding job creation, recently saw participation from senior leader Rahul Gandhi in Begusarai on April 7.
On the opposing front, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has also intensified its preparations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a rally on March 30, criticized former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav for allegedly overseeing a “jungle raj” and widespread corruption from 1990 to 2005. Shah announced he would spend two days every month in Bihar to strategize for the upcoming polls.
Adding to the NDA’s momentum, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary attended a key meeting on April 13 to chalk out the alliance’s election game plan.
The upcoming elections are shaping up to be a high-stakes battle between the NDA—comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United)—and the Mahagathbandhan, which includes the Congress, RJD, and Left parties. Though the Election Commission has yet to announce dates, polling is expected to take place around October–November.
