India, Oct. 19 -- The Mahagathbandhan appears to be a divided house with days left for the Bihar legislative assembly polls: In multiple seats, coalition members have fielded candidates against each other, even as the window for withdrawal of nominations to the first phase shuts today. The unsettled state is likely to continue as allies fail to balance their ambitions with the larger goal of putting up a united front to win office.

At least three reasons can be listed to explain the chaos within the alliance. First, a leadership crisis. Though each of its constituents - the RJD, Congress, CPI-ML, CPI, CPM and the Vikassheel Insaan Party - has a clear leader, the Mahagathbandhan seems to lack a singular face who commands respect across pa...