PATNA, Oct. 18 -- After prolonged deliberations and tough bargaining, the Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP), a key constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, on Friday announced that it had finalised a seat-sharing deal with the RJD-Congress-Left combine by agreeing to contest 15 seats in the forthcoming assembly elections. However, the seat-sharing arrangement within the INDIA bloc is yet to be formally announced, even as the nomination process for the first phase of polling on November 6 ended on Friday. In several constituencies, including Vaishali and Lalganj, both the RJD and Congress have fielded their own candidates, reflecting continued lack of coordination among the allies. Incidentally, VIP chief, Mukesh Sahani, who was set to file his nomination papers from Gaura Bauram seat in Darbhanga, opted to field his brother Santosh Sahani as the party's nominee from the seat in a fast- turning political development, springing a surprise. Sahani's party has already cleared many names out of 15 seats allotted to it by the RJD and coalition partners. The change of decision by the VIP chief was not fully known but Sahani himself claimed ' he had opted to field his brother from the seat so that he could remain free to campaign for rest of the party candidates and ensure the victory of Mahagathabandhan or Grand Alliance( GA)'. "I have opted not to contest polls this time. I will campaign for party's nominees and also for the Grand Alliance," Sahani told reporters in Darbhanga. There are speculations that Sahani, who had contested the 2020 assembly polls as part of NDA from Simri Bakhtiarpur seat and lost to the RJD nominee, has opted not to contest the polls this time so that he could go to state legislative Council as an MLC. People familiar with the matter said the VIP has been assured of being allotted two MLC seats and one Rajya Sabha seat by the RJD and other allies in INDIA bloc as part of the seat deal. " I am not keen on going to Rajya Sabha. I want to become the deputy CM after GA comes to power in Bihar," said Sahani, when asked why he had opted not to contest the polls or file his nomination papers today. VIP's national spokesperson Dev Jyoti also confirmed that a seat deal had been stitched with the RJD-Congress led coalition and 15 seats had been approved. "Yes, a seat deal has been stitched with RJD-Congress and other partners in the INDIA bloc or Mahagatbandhan in Bihar. We will contest 15 seats in alliance with other partners," said Dev Jyoti , national spokesperson of the VIP and close aide of Sahani. Jyoti also said the VIP has been assured two MLC and one Rajya Sabha seat by the major allies in the INDIA bloc including RJD as part of the seat sharing deal. In another development , Afzal Ali Khan on Friday too filed his nomination with 'RJD symbol' from the Goura Bouram, claiming to be true soldier of party supremo Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav. Khan said he submitted his nomination papers with the election symbol given by RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in Patna on Thursday. "I have affixed the symbol given by Lalu Prasad Ji and Tejashwi Yadav Ji and filed my nomination. I don't need to clarify anything further whether I am contesting as an independent or whatsoever. If I get the RJD symbol, I will contest as the RJD candidate; if not, I will contest as an independent," he said after filing his nomination. Insiders in the RJD said Afzal Ali would be persuaded to withdraw from the contest as the seat now has gone to VIP. "There is still time for withdrawal. A final picture would emerge soon," said a senior RJD leader. Among the seats offered to VIP include Gaura Bauram, Bhabua, Aurai, Gopalpur and Darbhanga (urban), sources said. On Thursday, Sahani had dropped ample hints of being 'annoyed' with the INDIA bloc allies especially RJD and Congress for not giving him a list of seats to be allotted in seat sharing by scheduling a presser in the afternoon and later deferring it three times before cancelling it. Reports said Congress top leaders had intervened to facilitate a seat sharing deal with VIP by discussing the matter with the RJD. Meanwhile, seat sharing talks between RJD and Congress have still remained inconclusive with disputes prevailing over a few seats where both the parties have staked claim including Vaisali, Benipur, Narkatiya, and others. "A piquant situation has arisen because of disputes over a few seats not getting resolved so far among RJD , Congress and CPI. In Many seats, Congress and RJD have put their respective candidates or given symbols. That is the problem. One cannot have an alliance where there are two candidates in one seat from the same coalition," said another RJD leader, who is in the know of the matter. Insiders in the opposition bloc said a seat sharing deal may be officially announced after the last date of withdrawal of candidates as in the number of seats, there is duplicacy of candidates from different alliance partners who have filed nominations. " We want that the INDIA bloc contests the elections as a united coalition and there is no situation of any duplicacy or 'friendly' fights. Talks are going on among all allies including RJD, Congress and left partners to settle the complicated issue," said a senior RJD leader. . On the other hand, Congress on Thursday late night issued the list of 48 candidates for both the phases including several seats where there are disputes with RJD like Vaishali, Lalganj Lakhisarai, Benipur . The RJD too has given symbols to over 60 candidates where the party would contest in first and second phase of polls though a final list of nominees has not been released by the party officially. The CPI-ML(Liberation) too has given symbols to 17 candidates so far who have filed their nomination of which 14 are nominees from constituencies going to polls in the first phase. "We are expecting to get four to five more seats. 18 seats have already been allotted to us by the RJD and other allies in INDIA bloc. We have no clash with any of the partners in any of the seats allotted to us," said a senior ML leader. There are possibilities, the RJD would contest 135 seats while Congress may get 58-60 seats and CPI and CPM may get total 10 seats, under the seat sharing deal being discussed in the INDIA bloc. Till Thursday, 932 nominations were filed for the first phase while 179 nominations have been filed for second phase polls on November 11....