New Delhi: After Home Minister Amit Shahs virtual rally in Bihar, the political temperature is heating up in the state with RJD opposing the rally by clanging utensils and Congress attacking the BJP on the amount of money spent on it.
The Congress-RJD combine is gearing up for the Assembly polls too with Congress identifying probable seats as the party has ceded the lead role to the RJD.
A Congress leader and former minister from Bihar said, “In principle there will be an alliance with RJD and we are committed to oust the BJP alliance government in the state which has not cared about suffering of millions and started political rallies but regarding seat sharing it is something to be decided at AICC level.”
Congress has identified 75 of the total 243 seats where it believes it is in a good position to win against the ruling JDU-BJP alliance.
Sources say in the last election Congress contested on 41 seats and JD-U was also part of the alliance.
The Assembly election is slated for later this year and Congress has started preparing and shortlisting of candidates.
The party leader on condition of anonymity said that 75 seats seems to be unrealistic and the party may settle for around 60 to 65 seats.
As the Congress-RJD alliance has HAM, RLSP, and Sharad Yadav’s party, they will also demand major chunk and RLSP is a serious player in the state politics, said a leader.
In 2015, Congress contested on 41 seats and won 27 and RJD-JDU contested 101 seats each and RJD won 80 and JD-U 71. Nitish Kumar has been at the helm for 15 years in the state.
While a call to RJD leaders did not elicit a response but sources say that the seat sharing agreement will be done as per strength of the party.
The alliance talks are likely to take place next month after the COVID-19 pandemic situation subsides in the country and probably after June 19 as the Congress in charge for Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil is contesting Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat and is busy in the management of the election as Congress is facing a resignation spree of its MLAs in the state.
