The Indian National Congress recently announced another list of six candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, bringing the total number of declared candidates from the party to 60.
This latest announcement came late at night, a clear indication of the ongoing challenges within the Mahagathbandhan alliance. The two primary constituents, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress, have yet to finalize a formal seat-sharing agreement, leading to palpable tensions.
Among the newly named candidates, Surendra Prasad Kushwaha will contest from Valmiki Nagar, Abidur Rehman from Araria, Jalil Mastan from Amour, Tauquir Alam from Barari, Praveen Singh Kushwaha from Kahalgaon, and Vinod Chaudhary from Sikandra (SC).
The alliance’s internal struggles became particularly evident just prior to this announcement. Reports emerged of disgruntled hopefuls from both the RJD and Congress alleging that tickets were being sold, further highlighting the deep-seated divisions.
With the deadline for filing nomination papers for the second and final phase of elections fast approaching, both the Congress and the RJD have continued to issue party symbols to their chosen candidates, despite the lack of a fully resolved alliance agreement.
Previously, the Congress had released its initial list of 48 candidates, including State unit chief Rajesh Ram from Kutumba and CLP leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan from Kadwa. This was followed by a single announcement of Rishi Mishra from Jale, and then a subsequent list of five candidates. The consistent, staggered release of candidate lists underscores the party’s strategic, albeit challenging, approach to the Bihar polls.