Rahul Gandhi asks Congress to identify constituencies in poll-bound Bihar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday sounded the bugle in poll-bound Bihar by asking the cadre to work for “effecting a decisive change in Bihar”. He also asked senior leaders to identify the constituencies the party will contest.

Assembly elections in the state are due later this year though the Election Commission has not taken a final call on the poll dates and sought suggestions from political parties.

Addressing party workers through video conferencing, the former Congress president made it clear that every effort should be made to strengthen the party and the Grand Alliance, “without compromising respect and dignity.”

“History is witness to the fact that every change has begun from Bihar. Mahatma Gandhi started his freedom struggle from Champaran. In the present context, Bihar Congress will do this change,” said Gandhi.

He also asked the state unit to highlight the Nitish Kumar government’s failure to effectively tackle Covid-19 and the flood situation.

“Highlight the failure of the state government on the front of education, health and employment. Take them to people. The state government has failed to tackle Covid and flood situations effectively.

The Nitish Kumar government was reluctant to take back the migrants. The state government was boasting on the front of corruption; now the CM doesn’t talk on these issues,” said Gandhi.

BPCC president Madan Mohan Jha said that Rahul Gandhi had assured the state unit that he was willing to come to state as and when required. “Rahulji also spoke on the need of strengthening the alliance with respect to one and all,” said Premchandra Mishra, Congress MLC.

Though he avoided the contentious issue of leadership in the Grand Alliance (GA), Gandhi said Congress will form the next government with everyone’s help.

“The next government will be ours. We will form the government with the help of all,” he said.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is said to be keen that party president Lalu Yadav’s son Tejashwi Yadav be declared as the GA’s chief ministerial candidate. However, the Congress has all along maintained that this decision will be taken at a later stage.

Rahul Gandhi also asked party’s Bihar in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil and Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president Madan Mohan Jha to identify the number of seats and the constituencies it will contest.

A senior leader of Congress said that party wants to contest at least two seats every district, which puts the total seats to 76. “The JD (U) had contested on 100 seats when it was part of the Grand Alliance, so we would definitely like to get a majority share of its seat plus would like to retain our winning seats,” said the leader.

In the 2015 assembly elections, the Congress had contested on 41 seats and won 21 with a vote share of 6.7% while the RJD had contested on 101 seats and won 80 seats with a vote share of 16.8%.

With Bihar continuing to reel under floods and battling the surge in Covid-19 cases, Tejwashwi Yadav and NDA ally Lok Janshakti Party have voiced concern over holding assembly polls in the state. However, the ruling JD(U)-BJP coalition wants the polls to be held as scheduled.

The term of the present Assembly expires on November 29.