Mahagathbandhan (Bihar)

Mahagathbandhan (abbr. MGB[1]) also known as Grand Alliance is a coalition of political parties in the Eastern state of Bihar in India, formed ahead of the upcoming 2020 Vidhan Sabha elections in Bihar. The alliance consists of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Indian National Congress (INC) and several Left parties including Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation-CPIML(Liberation) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) , with Tejashwi Yadav as the proposed Chief Minister candidate.[2]

This article is about the regional political alliance in Bihar. For the multi-state political alliance at the national level, see Mahagathbandhan (2019).
For the regional political alliance in Jharkhand, see Mahagathbandhan (Jharkhand).
Mahagathbandhan
LeaderTejashwi Yadav
ChairpersonLalu Prasad Yadav
Founded2015
Political positionCentre-left
AllianceUPA
Seats in Rajya Sabha
6 / 245
Seats in Bihar Legislative Assembly
110 / 243
Seats in Bihar Legislative Council
12 / 75

History

On 7 June 2015, Lalu Prasad Yadav announced the RJD was joining in an alliance with the JDU for the election.[3][4] On 13 July, he led a march demanding that the central government release its findings of the Socio Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC) on caste,[5][6][7] although Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan pitched for a comprehensive classification of caste data of SECC 2011 before its release,[8] and also said Lalu, Nitish will be worst impacted from the caste data even if its released.[9][10] BJP Leader Sushil Kumar Modi called for a rectification of errors in the cases of 1.46 crore people in India, including 1.75 lakh in Bihar, before releasing the caste data.[11]

On 3 August, incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar declared that he would not stand in the election.[12][13] On 11 August, he announced the seat-sharing formula, according to which JD(U) and RJD will contest 100 seats each, while Congress will contest 40 seats in Bihar.[14] NCP pulled out of this alliance later.[15] On 23 September, Nitish Kumar announced the list of 242 candidates for the JDU-RJD-INC alliance.[16][17][18] OBCs were most favoured in the alliance ticket distribution plan.[19][20][21] 10% of tickets were allotted to women candidate by the alliance.[22]

Nitish Kumar was the declared chief ministerial candidate for the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance). Kumar started his Har Ghar Dastak (door-to-door) campaign on 2 July.[23][24][25] Initially there were definite political overtures when both Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar shared stage together in a public[26] event commemorating former chief minister Satyendra Narain Sinha's birth anniversary that witnessed veiled attacks on each other, the last time[27] they did it in public. Prashant Kishor was a key election strategist for the alliance.[28][29]

The Mahagathbandhan contested in Bihar legislative assembly elections of 2015 against Bharatiya Janata Party and its key allies Lok Janshakti Party and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party . The Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies lost badly making the way for JD (U)+RJD+Congress to triumph with 178 out of 243 seats. The BJP and its allies managed to get only 58 seats.[30]

Dissent and defection

After successfully winning the elections of 2015, the defection in Mahagathbandhan occurred with alleged attempt of Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders to break Janata Dal (United) elected legislators . Nitish Kumar, the then leader of JD (U) and the Chief Minister for 5th time[31] was thus forced to join the Bharatiya Janata Party and NDA once again to secure the interest of his parties .[32] However, the entry of JD (U) made other allies of Bhartiya Janata Party embarrassed . Thus the rival party of JD (U), Rashtriya Lok Samata Party drifted away with its leader Upendra Kushwaha from the hold of NDA . The drifting away of Rashtriya Lok Samata Party created uncertainties in the camp of National Democratic Alliance over shifting of the support of Koeri caste on whom RLSP was thought to have strong hold.[33] But in 2019 General Elections the JD(U) balanced the loss incurred due to the defection of Upendra Kushwaha and Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United) secured victory over the putatively put alliance of RJD+RLSP+INC+HAM+VIP parties. Subsequently, VIP and HAM switched to the NDA.[34]

Current members
No Party Current No. of MLAs in Bihar Assembly Current No. of MLCs in Bihar Council
1 Rashtriya Janata Dal 75 6
2 Indian National Congress 19 4
3 Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation 12 0
4 Communist Party of India 2 2
5 Communist Party of India (Marxist) 2 0
- Total 110 12

See also

References
  1. "Post Bihar....the MGB fever". Rajya Sabha TV. 2015-11-20. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  2. "Reasons behind JDU-RJD-Congress Mahagathbandhan's massive win in Bihar elections". News18. 2015-11-08. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  3. "Lalu, Nitish seal the deal: RJD, JD(U) form alliance for Bihar polls, seat sharing talks on cards". Firstpost.
  4. "Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav alliance may be a 90-seat worry for BJP".
  5. "Lalu leads march for caste census data".
  6. "Lalu's Ultimatum to Modi Government on Caste Census Data".
  7. "Caste census data demand is 'jehad': Lalu".
  8. "'Ram Vilas Dalit face wherever you go, Jitan Ram Manjhi can be Mahadalit face'".
  9. "Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar to be hit hardest if caste data released: Paswan".
  10. "Lalu Prasad Yadav , Nitish Kumar to be hit hardest if caste data released: Ram Vilas Paswan".
  11. "Caste census data to be release after error correction: Sushil Modi".
  12. "Won't contest Bihar polls, will devote time for campaigning, says Nitish Kumar".
  13. "Won't contest Bihar elections: Nitish Kumar".
  14. "Nitish Kumar Announces Seat-Sharing Formula For Bihar Elections: JD(U)-RJD To Contest On 100 Seats Each, Congress 40".
  15. "Bihar elections: NCP pulls out of anti-BJP alliance, may contest alone".
  16. "Bihar polls: Nitish Kumar releases 'joint list' of 242 candidates, OBCs get lion's share".
  17. "Nitish Kumar yields, Lalu Prasad gets both his sons an Assembly ticket each".
  18. "Nitish-led alliance releases list of 242 candidates for Bihar polls".
  19. "OBCs most favoured in alliance plan".
  20. "In Bihar elections, it is my social combination versus yours".
  21. "Bihar elections: OBCs and Dalits 70% in Nitish list, upper castes 42% in BJP". The Indian Express. 24 September 2015.
  22. "Little room for women in Nitish's 'Grand' design". The Times of India.
  23. "Har Ghar Dastak: Nitish's Bihar strategy is old fashioned door-to-door campaigning".
  24. "Nitish sounds poll bugle with 'Har Ghar Dastak'".
  25. Sajjad, Mohammad (8 November 2015). "How Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav won Bihar". rediff.com. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  26. "They may have 'amicably' come to a seat-sharing agreement, but 15 months of tumultuous relationship later, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav still remain frenemies". Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  27. "Giant slayer". Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  28. "Team 178: Faces behind Grand Alliance's victory in Bihar polls".
  29. "Amit Shah vs Prashant Kishor: Who will be the wizard of Bihar election?".
  30. "Bihar verdict: How RJD, Congress, JDU turned vote share to seats". Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  31. ANI (20 November 2015). "Nitish Kumar sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister for fifth time". Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  32. "LIVE: Nitish Kumar Forms Government In Bihar With BJP; Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav Lash Out". NDTV. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  33. "Upendra Kushwaha's exit could undo BJP's carefully planned Bihar caste coalition". theprint.in. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  34. "Bihar Election Results: BJP-JD(U) alliance sweeps Bihar, gets 39 of the 40 seats". economic times. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
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