PATNA, Oct. 15 -- In a high-stakes game of political chess, the INDIA bloc's grand alliance in Bihar teeters on the brink of fracture as allies clash fiercely over seat allocations for the 2025 assembly elections. At the root of tussle between allies, especially RJD and Congress, are claims on seats that are traditionally held by leaders with political legacy and those that are presently occupied by parties and are considered winnable. With three days until the first phase of nominations ends, the Mahagathbandhan - comprising the RJD, Congress, Left parties, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), Rashtriya Lok Janashakti Party (RLJP) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) - finds itself mired in acrimony over claims of seats. Meanwhile, some clarity emerged on Tuesday. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, according to his party colleagues, would file his nomination from Raghopur today (Wednesday). Similarly, the main Left ally of the alliance, CPI-ML, named 18 candidates that it said have been cleared by the alliance. What was billed as a Monday deadline for resolution has spiralled into open bickering, with premature ticket distributions and ultimatums casting long shadows over the bloc's anti-BJP crusade. This isn't mere arithmetic; it's a battle for legacy strongholds, where family legacies, turncoat loyalties and razor-thin past margins collide. The RJD's playbook - demanding "crucial, traditional and sitting seats" from Congress - has rankled the national party, which in turn is adamant about reclaiming turf it once ceded to Left allies in a bid for unity. As one senior Congress strategist quipped anonymously, "We've sacrificed enough; now it's time to harvest." At the heart of the melee are constituencies that pulse with electoral drama, each a microcosm of Bihar's caste cauldron and political vendettas: Kahalgaon (Bhagalpur): A nine-time fiefdom of Congress veteran Sadanand Singh, this riverside bastion is now a tug-of-war prize. Congress is backing Pravin Kushwaha, the firebrand who fell short by 16,000 votes against BJP's Nand Kishore Yadav in Patna Sahib (2020). But the RJD, in a cross-state maneuver, wants to parachute Rajnish Yadav - son of Jharkhand minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav - as a JMM proxy. "It's not just seats; it's about honouring alliances," a JMM source retorted, hinting at broader regional pacts. Maharajganj (Siwan): The shadow of slain don Mohammad Shahabuddin looms large here. Congress's sitting MLA and party warhorse VS Dubey clings to his perch, but the RJD eyes it for Vishal Jaiswal, scion of MLC Vinod Jaiswal. Dynastic infusions like these underscore the RJD's youth-forward strategy, yet they irk Congress, which sees it as poaching from its stable. Bachhwara (Begusarai): A Left-redoubt turned flashpoint, this seat slipped from Congress to CPI in 2020. Now, the grand old party wants it back for Shiv Prakash Garib Das, son of ex-MLA Ramdev Rai and former Youth Congress president. Garib Das's independent run last time netted a stunning 40,000 votes (22% share), signaling untapped Congress loyalty. The CPI is said to be reluctant to forgo the seat. A classic ideological standoff in the socialist heartland. Ghosi (Jehanabad): Heat is rising from the Left flank as RJD covets this for Rahul Sharma, son of ex-JD(U) heavyweight Jagdish Sharma, who defected to the RJD fold. CPI(ML)'s incumbent Rambali Singh, a grassroots icon, isn't yielding without a fight. "We've bled for these seats; outsiders can't waltz in," fumed a CPI(ML) cadre. Matihani (Begusarai): A glitch between RJD and CPI(M) over this rural enclave, where the RJD has anointed JD(U) defector Narendra Kumar Singh (aka Bogo Singh). In 2020, CPI(M)'s Rajendra Prasad Singh eked out third place, trailing Bogo by just 800 votes. With the margin so wafer-thin, the RJD's preemptive claim reeks of opportunism. Vaishali: Another Congress bastion under siege, with RJD pushing Ajay Kumar Kushwaha-a recent recruit from LJP fame. Kushwaha's 2020 third-place finish (30,000-vote deficit) pales against Congress's Sanjeev Singh, who lost to JD(U)'s Siddharth Patel by 7,000. The RJD's insistence? Kushwaha's OBC pulled in a constituency ripe for flipping. Pressure tactics have escalated too. The RJD's flirtation with Kutumba (Aurangabad) - home turf of Congress state president Rajesh Ram - drew howls after ex-MLA Suresh Paswan rallied workers last month. Similarly, in Chainpur (Kaimur), the RJD is eyeing it for BJP apostate Braj Kishore Bind, sidelining Congress's 2020 contender Prakash Kumar Singh. As Delhi-Patna shuttles multiply, the clock ticks mercilessly - nominations open in weeks, yet resolutions elude. In an audacious move, RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad jumped the gun, doling out party symbols to party loyalists at Rabri Devi's residence, prompting a frantic intervention by Tejashwi. This "ticket tamasha," as critics dubbed it, has allies seething, with some RJD leaders sheepishly returning their allotments. A proposed powwow between Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi was abruptly shelved, further stoking rumors of a deepening Congress-RJD rift. Insiders in the Mahagathbandhan said the seat sharing deal has remained elusive so far despite parleys going on for last many days among allies owing to mainly two issues; one the tussle going on between RJD and Congress on seat formula with the grand old party demanding 65 to 70 seats (same as it contested in 2020 polls). The RJD is not keen on giving more than 55 seats to its junior ally in Bihar. Besides, Vikashsheel Insaan Party (VIP), which is part of the INDIA bloc this time unlike in 2020 when it had partnered with ruling National Democratic Alliance ( NDA), has remained firm on its demand for 35 seats , which has complicated matters. The RJD, Congress and other allies feel accommodating VIP's demand is unpragmatic when RJD and Congress themselves are not keen to sacrifice a big number of seats to accommodate smaller allies. On Monday, Tejashwi returned late evening without having any talks with Congress top leaders like Rahul Gandhi and president Mallikarjun Kharge, leading to speculations that Congress was not in mood to accept RJD's offer of 55 seats and wants more than 60 seats. There are reports the RJD is keen to fight 135 to 140 seats while it has offered 15-18 seats to VIP , 19 seats to ML , six seats to CPM and four to CPI while smaller allies like Rashtriya Lok Janshakti party, JMM could get two and one seats. Meanwhile, there was talk in Patna that RJD leader Tejashwi would file his nomination from his sitting seat Raghopur on Wednesday....