Emboldened by the overwhelming success of the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar and the extended CWC meeting in Patna, the Congress party has signaled its intent to play a major role in the INDIA bloc during the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
Congress General Secretary Syed Nasir Hussain announced in Patna on Thursday that the party would lead the entire election campaign and ensure that its key issues are incorporated into the alliance’s joint manifesto. “The Congress will lead the INDIA Alliance poll campaign under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. If voted to power, both leaders will also ensure that the Common Minimum Programme of the INDIA Alliance is implemented in letter and spirit,” he added.
Revealing the party’s intention, Hussain emphasised that the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections are crucial for Congress, particularly in the wake of alleged ‘vote theft’ in various state elections and similar attempts in Bihar through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The public response during the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ reinforces the urgency of these concerns.
Following this announcement, political circles have been abuzz with speculations regarding the future of the INDIA bloc. The Congress’s assertive stand is being viewed as a clear message to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Tejashwi Yadav that the grand old party no longer wishes to play the role of a ‘junior partner’ in the alliance.
RJD leader and convenor of the INDIA Alliance in Bihar Tejashwi Yadav has projected himself as the alliance’s chief ministerial candidate, a position that has been endorsed by other alliance partners, including the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and the Left parties. However, Congress leaders have consistently refrained from confirming or endorsing Tejashwi as the CM face.
The issue of seat-sharing also remains unresolved. Congress has submitted its list of preferred constituencies to Tejashwi and has indicated that if there is any delay in finalising the seat-sharing arrangement, the party will launch its campaign independently in 30 constituencies.