PATNA, Oct. 1 -- In the high-stakes contest for eight Bihar legislative council seats, comprising four graduates' and four teachers' constituencies, the Congress party is preparing to contest several seats independently, bypassing any formal seat-sharing agreement with its Mahagathbandhan (MGB or INDIA bloc) partner, the RJD. The decision, fuelled by the resentment over the RJD's unilateral announcements of its own candidates, threaten to fracture the opposition votes. With the tenure of sitting MLCs set to expire on November 16, political activity in Bihar has intensified. Polling for the eight graduates' and teachers' constituencies, spanning Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut, and Kosi/Saran, is scheduled for October 23, with the nomination deadline set for October 6. The RJD has already named candidates for six of them and indicated negotiations for the remaining are still in progress, including the Darbhanga teachers seat held by former state Congress president Madan Mohan Jha and the Tirhut teachers seat occupied by CPI's Sanjay Kumar Singh. Congress leaders say the party will field Madan Mohan Jha as its candidate from Darbhanga teachers constituency. Meanwhile, state media department chairman Rajesh Rathore has declared his intention to contest the Tirhut teachers' seat, effectively challenging the sitting CPI MLC, Sanjay Kumar Singh. In Patna, Congress Seva Dal leader Sanjay Yadav is asserting his candidacy for the teachers' constituency, while Rajanikant Pathak has begun preparations for the Darbhanga graduates' seat, pending final clearance from senior party functionaries. "I have decided to contest the Tirhut teachers seat. In these elections voting is not on party symbols, so entering the field is not rebellion against the party," Rathore said. Pathak added that preparations in the Darbhanga graduates seat had been made only after consulting party leaders; he would wait for the formal nod from seniors before filing papers. Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president Rajesh Ram struck a careful note. "The state of the Legislative Council election has been brought to the notice of the party's state in-charge and the national general secretary. Whatever decision the High Command takes, the party will work accordingly," he said. The limited size of the electoral rolls in graduates' and teachers' constituencies makes multi-cornered contests especially dangerous for the opposition. A senior Congress leader, wishing not to be quoted, said. "If Congress candidates cut even modestly into the traditional RJD cadre vote, the direct beneficiary will be the NDA nominees." Meanwhile, RJD spokesman Shakti Singh Yadav denied having 'any rift' with the Congress and claimed having knowledge of only one leader, sitting MLC Madan Mohan Jha, contesting the elections. "Our leaders are in touch with the Congress to sort out the issues. Our motto is to win the maximum seats," said Yadav....