Rahul meets top Cong leaders from Bihar ahead of state unit revamp

Senior leaders of the state Congress and all party MLAs from Bihar met former All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Rahul Gandhi in shifts on Wednesday and sought immediate revamping of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC), sources familiar with the development said

Senior leaders of the state Congress and all party MLAs from Bihar met former All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Rahul Gandhi in shifts on Wednesday and sought immediate revamping of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC), sources familiar with the development said.

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The meeting, coordinated by AICC in-charge Bhakta Charan Das, assumes considerable significance as he has reportedly submitted a list of names to lead of the state unit and rebuild the party ahead of next parliamentary elections in 2024. Kutumba MLA Rajesh Ram is among the names Das has reportedly recommended to take over as the new state party chief, along with a set of senior leaders to be accommodated in various panels.

Prominent among those who met Gandhi were former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, former governor Nikhil Kumar, Rajya Sabha member Akhilesh Prasad, former Lok Sabha member Kirti Azad, former BPCC chief Anil Sharma, current BPCC president Madan Mohan Jha, Congress legislature party leader Ajit Sharma and former BPCC chief Shakeel Ahmad. They met Gandhi in the forenoon session while the legislators met him in the evening.

Contrary to the AICC in-charge line, a majority of senior leaders are reported to have suggested that the party needed an aggressive upper caste leader to help revive its fortunes.

A senior leader, who had one-on-one meeting with the Congress top brass, said the party required an upper caste leader even if it wished to continue its tie-up with the RJD. “RJD still depends on the Congress for upper caste voters, although Congress has alienated them with its allegiance to RJD. However, the upper castes, who are still looking for a good leadership in the state, might help the party regain its lost ground,” he said.

Some also reportedly complained against Das, alleging he had prepared the panel without any deliberation with senior party leaders and workers. “One should not expect a miracle by installing a Dalit or scheduled caste (SC) leader in a highly fragmented society. The Dalits and extremely backward classes (EBCs) are still firmly associated JD(U), BSP and the left parties,” argued another leader.

A senior leader present at the meeting said names of leaders Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Nikhil Kumar, Kirti Azad, Meira Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Prem Chandra Mishra and Tariq Anwar were also discussed during the discussion with Rahul Gandhi.

As many as 16 out of the total 19 MLAs of the party in the state and all four MLCs interacted with the former AICC chief in the evening session.

Former MLA and party spokesman Harkhu Jha said it was a formal meeting where the newly elected MLAs got the chance to interact with Rahul Gandhi. “The meeting with party’s top brass was put off due to the pandemic. The party workers would accept any committee for the state unit as finalised by the party high command,” said Jha.