As Bihar gears up for its upcoming Assembly elections, discontent within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has once again come to the fore. Former Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief Upendra Kushwaha has stirred the political pot, alleging that “all is not well” within the coalition.

Kushwaha, visibly upset over the NDA’s seat-sharing formula, flew to New Delhi on Wednesday morning to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discuss what he described as “an unfair deal” for his party. Sources said that Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai accompanied him on the trip after Shah personally invited Kushwaha for talks.

Before boarding his flight at Patna Airport, Kushwaha told reporters, “I am going to New Delhi with hope. I believe everything will be settled amicably.”

The development follows a marathon late-night meeting at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, attended by Nityanand Rai, Nitin Nabin, and Rituraj Sinha in a last-ditch attempt to defuse tensions. The talks, which stretched till 5 a.m. on Wednesday, failed to yield a breakthrough.

According to media reports, the core issue revolves around the Mahua Assembly seat, which was earlier promised to Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha but has reportedly been allotted to Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). Kushwaha, sources claim, is keen on fielding his son from Mahua, while Chirag Paswan remains firm on contesting the seat through his party’s candidate.

As a mark of protest, Kushwaha has put the nomination process of his party’s candidates on hold, awaiting clarity from the top BJP leadership. Insiders reveal that Shah has asked Chirag Paswan to “keep the Mahua seat on hold” until further discussion.

Adding to the intrigue, reports said Chirag Paswan had offered four election symbols to RLM on Tuesday night, but Sanjay Singh, considered the likely RLM nominee from Mahua, was not granted one — signaling continued strain within the NDA ranks.

Political observers believe the standoff exposes growing cracks within the alliance just weeks before the polls, with Kushwaha’s dissent potentially unsettling the NDA’s caste arithmetic and seat calculations in key regions of Bihar.