India, Oct. 14 -- With just four days remaining for filing nominations for the first-phase polling in Bihar, the Opposition grand alliance, headed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), continued to grapple with a deepening impasse over seat distribution, even as the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has finalised a seat-sharing formula. Neither grouping has announced its candidates so far.

At the heart of the deadlock in the grand alliance negotiations is the RJD's firm stance against allocating more than 55 seats to its key partner, the Congress, which is pushing for at least 60 in the 243-member assembly, functionaries in the Opposition bloc indicated, adding the Congress has already screened over 90 constituencies, shortlisting c...