New Delhi: Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will hold a virtual meeting with Bihar party leaders, including the present and former members of Parliament and MLAs, on Thursday.
At the meeting, he will take stock of the party’s Assembly poll preparedness and also the Covid-19 situation in the state. The meeting, which is likely to see participation of over 1,000 leaders and workers, is being touted as a virtual rally.
“We will go with a positive agenda, whenever the Bihar polls take place. But the situation in the state is pathetic due to Covid-19,” said state Congress in-charge Shakti Singh Gohil.
The meeting would also pay homage to the Bihar Regiment soldiers, who were martyred in the Galwan Valley, Gohil added.
The party is also expected to discuss the poll alliance in the state. Though the Congress is in alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a section of the party leaders is of the view that the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) could also be roped in.
At present, the Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The Congress had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the RJD, the Janata Dal (United), the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), but could only win the Kishanganj seat.
In the Assembly polls, it’s unlikely to concede to the RJD’s demands. Also, as the JD(U) has returned to the NDA-fold, around 100 Assembly seats (contested by the JD-U) are to be distributed among the Congress allies.
According to sources, the Congress wants to contest 70 of these seats.
Former Congress Minister Shakeel Zaman Ansari said, the party would contest the Assembly polls in alliance with the RJD, but won’t give in to its pressure over allocation of seats.
Congress leaders say the decimation of the RJD in the Lok Sabha polls has opened a window of opportunity for their party. (IANS)
