Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi kicked off his party's election campaign in Bihar on Wednesday, where the party is going it alone after falling out with two key allies.After arriving in Patna from New Delhi, he left for Buxar where he addressed a public gathering. The Congress has fielded former central minister K.K. Tiwari from Buxar.
Gandhi then left for a public meeting in Aurangabad where the party has renominated Nikhil Kumar, a former Delhi police chief and son of former Bihar chief minister S.N. Sinha. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi will also visit the state to campaign for the party in the second week of April, party sources said.
The Congress is contesting the general elections in Bihar by itself after being given a cold shoulder by fellow members of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) - Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). Bihar has 40 parliamentary seats.