Bihar Council polls: After RJD snub, Congress to contest all 24 seats

Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) chief Madan Mohan Jha, who was also in Delhi to meet and discuss the seat sharing issues on the words of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, said the party had launched the selection process for candidates on all seats.

The alliance between the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar is all but over, at least for now.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav with son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. (ANI)

While ties between the two parties had already come to a breaking point after both fielded their candidates in bypolls for two assembly seats last year, the final blow has been dealt by RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who categorically said on Sunday that his party has no truck with Congress in Bihar and declared that his party had selected candidates for all 23 Legislative Council seats, while leaving Bhagalpur for the Left parties. The 24 seats are likely to go to polls in February or March this year.

Responding in kind, Congress legislature party (CLP) leader Ajit Sharma said on Monday his party would field nominees on all 24 seats. “There will be no looking back, until the party high command tells us to follow the other line,” said Sharma, who returned to Patna on Monday after meeting with AICC in-charge for Bihar, Bhakta Charan Das, and other senior leaders in Delhi.

Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) chief Madan Mohan Jha, who was also in Delhi to meet and discuss the seat sharing issues on the words of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, said the party had launched the selection process for candidates on all seats. “Applications of candidates have started pouring in once the party decided to contest the elections on its own,” he said.

A section of Congress in the state hailed the party’s decision to opt out of the coalition led by the RJD in Bihar. “The party took a right decision, but the delay in deciding the course has caused irreparable damage to its electoral base,” said Kishore Jha, a senior AICC member.

Former MLC Ajay Kumar Singh said it was illogical to be in alliance of the RJD, which is supporting other parties in the Uttar Pradesh elections. “The Congress should better strive to revitalize its roots instead of relying on the allies. We have a tie-up with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the neighbouring state, which had supported the Trinamool in West Bengal and Samajwadi Party in UP,” said Singh.

Leaders of the ruling alliance, however, ridiculed Congress’s delayed decision. “Congress woke up after RJD discarded its proposal. Congress has become irrelevant by supporting the party which is known for institutionalizing corruption and perpetuating nepotism in politics,” said BJP leader and road construction minister Nitin Nabin.