New Delhi, Oct. 12 -- The Bihar assembly elections are following a pattern seen in recent assembly elections, especially those involving parties that have been in power for long, or alliances: proteges turning against mentors, and loyalists squabbling with each other, all for a shot at political relevance. Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are all seeing this. Some attribute the phenomenon to the usual jockeying for tickets ahead of November's assembly election. The JD(U) has been part of the ruling dispensation (both with the BJP and the RJD-Congress at different times) for 20 years, which means the current NDA alliance is the default long-term incumbent, and parties have discovered that the easiest way to tackle anti incumbency is to change candidates. With two alliances facing off -- the Jan Suraaj is a start-up and will have to pull off a miracle to win enough seats to make a difference, people say -- parties are having to accommodate partners. The result: people turning on their own. In Masaurhi, Makhdumpur, and Jehanabad, sitting RJD legislators Rekha Devi , Satish Kumar Das, and Suday Yadav faced angry supporters. As did JD(U) legislators Kaushal Kishore and Siddharth Patel in Rajgir and Vaishali; and BJP MLAs Birendra Kumar and Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu in Samastipur and Chhatapur (Supaul), respectively. Political analyst Rajendra Prasad Singh said that the repeated instances of public anger are being seen as a sign of growing dissatisfaction. "The pattern cuts across party lines. In the RJD, discontent is brewing among mid-level leaders who see the party's ticket distribution process as biased toward veteran leaders' family members. Those who worked hard for years are now watching their leaders lobby for tickets for their sons and daughters. These protestors respect their seniors, but they want to end this dynasty culture," he said. Bhagalpur-based political analyst Rajiv Siddharth said that this internal turmoil is a part of a broader generational transition in Bihar politics. "The older guard - represented by figures like Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad - faces growing impatience from a younger political class that wants its share of power. After decades of the same faces, younger leaders feel they deserve a chance. But the irony is that these younger aspirants were trained by the very leaders they now seek to replace," he said. RJD leader Vijay Yadav claimed that this problem is more apparent among NDA allies, pointing to demands for more seats from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Hindustani Awaami Morcha. And BJP leader Santosh Pradhan said that the RJD is a "private limited" political party, faces maximum dissidence among its workers. "Tejashwi Yadav and other leaders want to secure political space on the ground that they are the real proteges or heirs of Lalu Prasad and blocking the next line of leadership. This tension has turned ticket allocation into a minefield." And disagreements are out in the open. Across several towns, posters have emerged criticising sitting MLAs - not from rival parties but from their own workers. Social media platforms have also become the new battleground. Party workers are venting their frustration on Facebook, WhatsApp, and X (formerly Twitter). "Earlier, dissent was confined to tea shops or private gatherings," said Dhirendra Kumar, a Patna-based political observer. "Now, it's out in the open - amplified by social media." A senior JD(U) leader from Nalanda cautioned that the crisis, if unchecked, could prove costly. "With the Mahagathbandhan and the NDA both locked in tight competition, even minor internal sabotage could tilt results."...