Bihar polls: CPI(ML)'s Dipankar Bhattacharya attributes delay in seat-sharing pact to Mukesh Sahani's VIP

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 19 (ANI): Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Sunday attributed the delay in deciding Mahagathbandhan's seat-sharing arrangement to accommodating Mukesh Sahani's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), noting a lack of unity within the alliance on several constituencies.
The CPI(ML) leader said the party has settled for 20 seats in the Mahagathbandhan's seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Speaking to ANI, Dipankar Bhattacharya said, "We had 19 seats last time. This time, we were hoping that CPI(ML) would get to contest in 25 seats. But since it's a bigger coalition, we had to settle for 20."
Addressing the delay in announcing the seat-sharing pact, he added, "One reason is that it is a bigger coalition this time. The VIP... had to accommodate the new party, which meant everybody had to sacrifice a few seats. This caused a delay, and because of this, there is no absolute unity in every constituency. But we have made it a point that there will be no friendly fights. By October 20, I hope complete unity will prevail."

On Saturday, CPI(ML) Liberation released its list of 20 candidates for the upcoming polls.
Further, he called Mukesh Sahani's aspirations for the Deputy Chief Ministerial post "legitimate". Bhattacharya emphasised that Sahani joined the Mahagathbandhan after facing "humiliation" in the NDA.
He said, "A party will have its aspirations, on seats or Deputy Chief Minister. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, there are (multiple) Deputy Chief Ministers. That is a legitimate aspiration. He sent a letter to Rahul Gandhi and said that 'I belong here, in defence of the Constitution and democracy, as part of the INDIA coalition.' That is a considered political position the party has taken after the humiliation they had to suffer in the NDA."
The CPI(ML) leader slammed the BJP, calling it a threat to the multi-party system in the country. He stated that regional parties are worried about their existence.
"Last time, they (VIP) won four seats...but BJP gobbled up all the four MLAs and Mukesh Sahani was thrown out of the cabinet. This is about the dignity of a small party. The BJP has now declared a threat to the multi-party system in India. Their President Nadda came here before the Lok Sabha polls and said, 'only one party will survive, and that is the BJP.' Every regional party is worried," he told ANI.
As the BJP and the JD(U) are set to contest on 101 seats each, he alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had to "snatch back" seats from the BJP.
"Even now, the way JD(U) is being treated...Nitish Kumar had to assert and snatch back the seats which were being taken from him. Why is the BJP missing Sahani so much? If you can't get Sahani, you bring someone else from his party. It is more about the BJP's desperation to find an ally, rather than some leader's opportunism to seek support from the BJP," he said.
The Mahagathbandhan, led by the RJD and Congress, was unable to finalise a seat-sharing pact for the first phase of the Bihar polls, as the nomination process concluded on Friday.
Polling for the Bihar elections 2025 will take place on November 6 and 11. The results will be announced on November 14. (ANI)