Patna: While the grand alliance is yet to formally announce seat allocations, the Congress party in Bihar has started preparations to contest on 11 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
Sources said that Congress is likely to release the list of candidates on Sunday.
According to Rajya Sabha MP and chairman of the Bihar Congress campaign committee Akhilesh Singh, the party has shortlisted the names of 11 candidates who would be contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.
“Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been authorised to approve the list of candidates. Seat allocations and names of candidates will be announced by our party soon,” Mr Singh said.
A meeting was held earlier this week at the residence of Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal to build a consensus among grand alliance partners regarding seat sharing issues in Bihar.
Grand alliance insiders told this newspaper that as per the fresh formula Congress — which was earlier demanding 15 seats — was persuaded to contest on 11 seats.
However, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) insiders said that Jitan Ram Manjhi is upset with RJD and Congress for offering fewer seats. A final decision will be taken after the parliamentary board meeting of the party on Saturday.
“We are not happy with the way our party’s demand for respectable seat share was ignored. We firmly believe that ignoring Jitan Ram Manjhi can be fatal for the grand alliance,” HAM spokesperson Rajesh Pandey said.
Sources said that Jitan Ram Manjhi has been offered three seats while Upendra Kushwaha five seats. Other grand alliance partners have been offered one seat each. Talks are on to persuade two left parties — CPI and CPI-ML — to contest on two seats each.
“There is no question of being upset with the Mahagathbandhan because all of us are here with the target to defeat the BJP-led NDA in the 2019 general elections. As far as seat sharing is concerned, the final announcement will be made on Sunday,” RLSP leader Jitendra Nath told this newspaper.
