PATNA, Oct. 27 -- With the first phase of elections looming on November 6, the Congress party has launched an urgent mission to douse tensions within the Mahagathbandhan (MGB), dispatching a high-powered team to Patna to resolve seat-sharing disputes threatening to unravel opposition unity against the ruling NDA. The stakes couldn't be higher, as the MGB is crippled with internal rifts and allegations of ticket-selling to turncoats risk splintering votes in a state where every percentage point counts. Leading the charge are All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, AICC treasurer and screening committee chairman Ajay Makan, and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who landed in Patna late Saturday night. "Their goal is to broker peace with key allies Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Communist Party of India (CPI), particularly over 10 constituencies where overlapping nominations have sparked 'friendly fights' that could offer an edge to chief minister Nitish Kumar-led coalition," said a senior Congress leader, wishing not to be named. The Congress team hit the ground running, holding late-night huddles with district election observers to streamline campaign strategies and foster grassroots coordination among MGB partners. AICC in-charge for Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pande has joined forces with Bihar AICC overseer Krishna Allavaru to tackle the crisis, which has been inflamed by accusations of tickets being sold to political defectors, eroding trust within the alliance. The flashpoints are concentrated in several key constituencies. In Vaishali, Sikandra, Kahalgaon, Sultanganj, Narkatiaganj and Warsaliganj, RJD's aggressive push to field 143 candidates has clashed with Congress's claim to 61 seats, setting up direct contests that could split the crucial Yadav-Muslim vote bank. Meanwhile, in Bachhwara, Rajapakar, Bihar Sharif and Kargahar, the CPI, allocated a modest 9 seats, accuses Congress of muscling into its strongholds, particularly in SC/ST-dominated areas like Bihar Sharif. Adding to the chaos, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), led by Mukesh Sahani, is locked in disputes with RJD over Chainpur and Babubarhi, with Gaura Bauram in Darbhanga emerging as another sore point after an RJD nominee refused to withdraw post-nomination. These intra-alliance clashes have drawn sharp taunts from the NDA. Union minister Chirag Paswan remarked, "There's no such thing as a friendly fight-either you're friends or foes," underscoring how vote splits could doom the MGB in Yadav heartlands of northern Bihar and tribal belts in the south. Smaller allies like the JMM have already walked out, slamming RJD's "political cunningness" for sidelining their demands in seats like Chakai and Katoria. At the heart of Congress's salvage operation is a crucial Sunday evening meeting with RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, the MGB's chief ministerial face, fresh off the campaign trail. The talks aim to project a united front and plan a high-voltage joint campaign, including a mega rally featuring Tejashwi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after the Chhath Puja on October 28, a festival that resonates deeply in Bihar's political and cultural landscape. Adding star power, AICC general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will arrive in Patna on October 28 to address election rallies, her first major Bihar outing since 2020. Ashok Gehlot, who met RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad earlier, sought to downplay the discord: "There's no dispute in Mahagathbandhan-differences over a few seats are routine. We're united." Yet, with nominations locked and the first phase of polling fast approaching, time is running out. A recent MGB strategy session in Patna reaffirmed Tejashwi's CM candidacy, but the unresolved seat clashes loomed large, threatening a repeat of the 2020 election's fractured opposition effort. Bihar's 243 seats, contested in two phases, remain a complex caste chessboard, with Yadavs and Muslims forming the MGB's backbone. The NDA, powered by Nitish's JD(U) and BJP's organisational heft, is banking on its development narrative to secure a third term. For the Congress, a marginal player with just 19 seats in 2020, resolving these rifts is critical to reclaiming relevance in Bihar and bolstering the MGB's challenge. As Patna buzzes with frenetic negotiations, the opposition's ability to harmonize its campaign will determine whether it can mount a credible fight-or fall prey to its own disarray. Leader of the opposition and INDIA bloc's CM face, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Sunday said that the campaign committee of the INDIA bloc in Bihar was working on the manifesto of the coalition and it would be released in next few days."We are preparing the manifesto of the INDIA bloc. Work is going on. It will be released soon," Yadav said, while addressing a presser, He also said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi , sneior Congress leader and MP Priyanka Gandhi and other senior leaders would jointly campaign with him in Bihar in next few days, dismissing speculations that there is still some friction among the allies in the coalition....