Congress to fight 11 seats in Bihar for 2019 Lok Sabha polls

New Delhi: A month after declaring an alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress on Friday said it will field 11 candidates in Bihar for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, where 40 parliamentary seats are at stake.

"The decision was taken at a meeting of Congress Election Committee. There is no meaning of sending names of more than 11 candidates as we were offered only 11 seats. Rahul Gandhi will take a final call on the names of candidates and soon he will declare the names," Congress leader Akhilesh Singh told ANI after the meeting.

The grand alliance formed by the Opposition in Bihar includes the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD), Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), Lok Jantrantrik Dal (LJD) and Vikas Sheel Insaan Party (VIP).

Earlier, the Congress had put forward a demand of 12 seats, including a seat for senior leader and former Union Minister Tariq Anwar who recently returned to the party after leaving NCP. The RJD is adamant in contesting at least 20 seats. On March 13, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had claimed that there is no confusion among the leaders of Bihar Mahagathbandhan regarding "seat-sharing".

Congress leader Ranjeet Ranjan on Friday said that the  Bihar 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) candidate list will be announced on March 17 and her husband Pappu Yadav is likely to be a part of it.

Addressing media persons, Ranjan said, "Mahagathbandhan in Bihar will announce its list of candidates on March 17. I think Pappu Yadav will become a part of the gathbandhan."

Pappu Yadav is currently the leader of Jan Adhikar Party-Loktantrik (JAP-L) and had defeated Sharad Yadav in 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Madhepura constituency.

There are 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. Bihar will go to polls in all the seven phases on April 11, 18, 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. The results would be announced on May 23.