Patna, Oct. 16 -- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge personally intervened on Thursday to defuse the seat-sharing standoff with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), media reports said.

The two leaders spoke directly with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav over the phone in a bid to end the stalemate. However, the outcome of their conversation remains unknown, according to an India Today report.

With nominations for the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls already underway and the filing deadline fast approaching, the deadlock between the two Mahagathbandhan partners - the RJD and Congress - has raised questions over the cohesion of the grand alliance.

Initially, the RJD had offered 52 seats to the Congress, whic...