The Newshour Debate: Rivals gang up - 1

Seeking to buck the trend of recent Parliamentary election in which BJP decimated them, JD(U), RJD and Congress announced alliance among the three for bypoll in 10 Assembly seats in Bihar, considered as semi-final before the crucial state poll next year. As per seat-sharing arrangements reached by the parties, JD(U) and RJD will contest four seats each while the Congress will do so on two seats. The alliance was formally announced by state Presidents of JD(U), RJD and Congress Basistha Narayan Singh, Ramchandra Purbey and Ashok Chaudhary respectively at a joint press conference. The deal was sealed finally after talks between Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, former chief minister Nitish Kumar and RJD President Lalu Prasad, they said. Singh told reporters that JD(U) will field its candidate on Parbatta, Mohania (SC), Jale and Hajipur seats, while Purbey said his party will contest Chapra, Mohiuddinagar, Rajnagar (SC) and Banka seats.

PCC President Ashok Chaudhary said his party would contest from Bhagalpur and Narkatiaganj. The three state chiefs said that names of their candidates would be made public in a day or two. August 2 is the last date for filling of nominations for bypoll that will take place on August 21. Justifying the alliance of the three parties, JD(U) state President said that it was the "need of the hour." Nitish Kumar, who returned to Patna last night after a trip to Mumbai and New Delhi, was not present at the press conference. RJD President Lalu Prasad is in Delhi. "After recent general election in which BJP came to power by befooling voters, the nation's mood has started changing... we are uniting to check split in anti-BJP votes in election," Singh and Purbey said.

In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists -- Manish Tewari, Sr. Leader, Congress & Former I&B Minister; MJ Akbar, National Spokesperson, BJP; Dr Manoj Jha, Spokesperson, RJD and Pavan Verma, MP Rajya Sabha, JD (U) -- discuss whether is the bypoll exp