New Delhi [India], October 22 : As assembly elections in Bihar come closer, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot is expected to reach Patna on Wednesday to resolve the issue of "friendly fight" within the opposition Mahagathbandhan.
Gehlot is likely to meet the Bihar Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is contesting the assembly polls from the Raghopur constituency.
All Indian Congress Committee (AICC) had earlier named former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as Senior Election Observer for the assembly polls in Bihar, which are scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel has also been named as a Senior Election Observer.
Speaking on the 'Mahagathbandhan' alliance, Gehlot on Tuesday said that all confusion will be cleared soon.
"There can be a friendly fight on some seats. The process is moving forward. We will hold a press conference, and the situation will be cleared. All the confusion will be cleared. Mahagathbandhan will contest the elections strongly," he told ANI.
The RJD on Monday released its list of candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections, fielding 143 contenders across the state. The official list was released on the last day of nominations for the second phase. 24 Women candidates are among the 143 named as contestants.
After comparing the candidate lists from the RJD and Congress for the Bihar assembly elections, it is evident that there are some common seats where both parties have fielded candidates, despite being part of the Mahagathbandhan.
In Narkatiaganj, Deepak Yadav (RJD) will face Shaswat Kedar Pandey (Congress); in Kahalgaon, Rajnish Bharti (RJD) will compete against Praveen Singh Kushwaha (Congress); and in Sikandra (SC), Uday Narayan Chaudhary (RJD) will go up against Vinod Chaudhary (Congress). However, there is likely to be a compromise between the allies, with one of the parties withdrawing in favour of the other.
The 2025 Bihar Elections will have the main contest between the National Democratic Alliance and the Mahagathbandhan.
NDA includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
The Mahagathbandhan led by Rashtriya Janata Dal include Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).
Additionally, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj has also staked claims on all 243 seats of the state.
The assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled to be held on November 6 and 11, respectively, while the results will be declared on November 14.