The Bihar Grand Alliance on Saturday announced its seat sharing formula for the Assembly elections, The Indian Express reported. The Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal will contest from 144 seats, the Congress 70 and the Left parties – Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist) – will together contest from 29 seats. There are 243 seats in the Bihar Assembly.

Voting for the polls will be held in three phases – the first on October 28, second on November 3 and the third on November 7. The results will be announced on November 10.

“All components of UPA [United Progressive Alliance] have decided to come together as coalition for the Bihar Assembly elections,” Bihar Congress leader Avinash Pandey said according to ANI. “Congress, RJD, CPI, CPI(M) and Vikassheel Insaan Party will be part of this alliance under the leadership of RJD. We want Bihar to prosper under Tejashwi Yadav.”

Yadav will be the chief ministerial candidate of the Grand Alliance, according to Hindustan Times.

The Vikassheel Insaan Party has been offered six seats out of the 144 the Rashtriya Janata Dal is contesting. However, Vikassheel Insaan Party leader Mukesh Sahni accused the Grand Alliance of backstabbing them. He said the party will leave the alliance and he will give a press conference on Sunday.

The seat-sharing exercise gained momentum after Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad’s emissary Bhola Yadav returned to Patna from Ranchi on October 1.

The National Democratic Alliance – comprising the Janata Dal (United), the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Lok Janshakti Party – is yet to announce its seat-sharing formula. The Lok Janshakti Party is said to be trying to strike a hard bargain, and has called a meeting of its Parliamentary board.

According to News18, the Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party may contest outside the BJP-led NDA on 143 seats, with the slogan “Modi se bair nahi, Nitish teri khair nahi,” (No enmity with [Prime Minister] Modi but won’t spare [Chief Minister] Nitish Kumar). The Lok Janshakti Party is part of the NDA.

On September 29, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati announced that her party will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections in an alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Samaj Party. The two parties have endorsed RLSP President Upendra Kushwaha as their chief ministerial candidate.

As many as 65 bye-elections will also be held along with the Assembly polls.