In a series of meetings held on Tuesday, the Congress high command, led by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, engaged with party leaders from Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Punjab to discuss the party's strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The meetings were attended by prominent leaders, including former party chief Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, and other central leaders.
The focus of the discussions in Bihar involved approximately 40 leaders from the Congress' Bihar unit, including Akhilesh Prasad Singh, the state chief, and newly appointed state in-charge Mohan Prakash.
Singh, addressing the media after the meeting, revealed that the RJD-JDU-Congress-Left alliance is set to contest the Lok Sabha polls jointly. "We held detailed discussions on the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections. We have made an action plan which will be taken forward. The discussion on seats will be held in the alliance committee meeting on December 29," he said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
Singh added that the alliance committee meeting would determine the final decision on seat-sharing.
When asked about the number of seats Congress would contest, Singh asserted flexibility, stating, "One or two seats may go here or there... It is not a problem. Last time we fought in alliance with RJD and Left parties. This time JD(U) is also there."
In a post on social media platform X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed confidence in the Grand Alliance government in Bihar, stating, "We are committed to social justice. For the progress, prosperity and peace of Bihar, every Congress worker is ready to reach out to the people and live up to the aspirations of the people of Bihar."
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress contested nine seats in Bihar. The RJD was allocated 20 seats, Congress nine, and other alliance partners received varying seat allocations. The Congress won one seat, and JD(U), which was in alliance with the BJP at the time, secured 16 seats.
The Congress high command also engaged with leaders from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, discussing strategies to strengthen the party in the Union territory and preparing for both the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. According to PTI, The Congress's Jammu and Kashmir in charge expressed optimism, saying, "We will win all five seats in Jammu and Kashmir and one in Ladakh, there is no doubt about it."
Rahul Gandhi along with West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, met with former leader of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Binay Tamang, and ex-Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chetri.
These meetings gain significance in the backdrop of the recent decision by the I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties to conclude seat-sharing agreements soon. As the Congress gears up for the upcoming elections, these deliberations are poised to shape the party's approach in key states.
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