Congress Gears Up for Bihar Elections: Key Meeting on Seat-Sharing and Strategy in Delhi
As Bihar Assembly elections heat up, Congress leaders gathered in New Delhi on Tuesday for a crucial strategy session. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi led the high-level meeting, focusing on plans to strengthen the party’s position in the state.
Party insiders reveal that the talks centered on the seat-sharing formula within the INDIA Bloc alliance. While leaders didn’t reveal the exact number of seats Congress wants to contest in the Bihar polls, they sounded optimistic about the progress.
Krishna Allavaru, Congress’s Bihar in-charge, shared updates with reporters after the meeting. "We’ve discussed the seats we aim to fight for," he said. "Seat-sharing negotiations with our INDIA Bloc partners are moving in the right direction, and positive discussions are ongoing. We’ll announce the numbers once everything is finalized."
When asked about a deadline for the Bihar election seat-sharing announcement, Allavaru replied, "These things don’t come with strict deadlines, but we’re hopeful for a quick decision."
Allavaru also highlighted Congress’s preparations for the Bihar election campaign. Senior figures like Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge plan to join rallies and outreach events to connect with voters. On expanding the INDIA Bloc, he confirmed that talks continue with potential new allies. Parties like Pashupati Paras’s Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) and Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) are in the mix for possible inclusion.
Congress MP from Kishanganj, Mohammad Jawaid, pointed out key Bihar issues raised during the meeting. "We’ve highlighted major challenges like unemployment, mass migration from Bihar, floods, and other local problems to the central leadership," he explained. "These will shape our joint campaign agenda for the Bihar Assembly elections."
On seat-sharing, Jawaid kept it brief: "It’s too early to pin down the exact figure, but we want a respectable number of seats. Our main goal is to field strong candidates who can boost our strength and help form the government in Bihar." He added that Congress’s support base in Bihar has grown stronger, thanks to the enthusiastic response to the recent Voter Adhikar Yatra.
The meeting saw attendance from Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram, CLP leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan, former PCC chief Madan Mohan Jha, senior leader Ajay Maken, and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal. With Bihar elections on the horizon, these steps show Congress’s push to unite the opposition and tackle voter concerns head-on.
