The Bihar National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has sharply criticized the upcoming Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Patna, marking its first-ever occurrence in the state.
Scheduled for September 24, the high-profile gathering will see attendance from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
In response, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president and Union Minister Chirag Paswan dismissed the CWC meeting as a strategic move by the Congress to exert pressure and secure a larger share of seats in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Paswan elaborated on his views, stating, “I view this meeting as pressure politics, mirroring the tactics employed by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who has declared his intention to contest all 243 Assembly seats in Bihar.” He further highlighted that despite campaigning alongside Tejashwi Yadav during the Voter Adhikar Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi conspicuously avoided endorsing Yadav as a Chief Ministerial candidate.
Paswan suggested that the Congress is attempting to leverage this meeting to negotiate a better seat-sharing deal, especially after being held responsible for the alliance’s poor showing in the previous election, where they secured only 19 out of 70 contested seats. He believes Congress anticipates a reduced seat allocation from the RJD this time and is using the CWC meeting as a counter-strategy.
Taking a direct jab at the Congress, Paswan challenged the party to go it alone in the upcoming elections. He pointed out that despite being the country’s oldest political party, the Congress seemingly lacks the courage to contest independently.
“The Congress should contest alone in Bihar; they have nothing to lose,” Paswan asserted. “Neither the Congress nor the RJD, despite being one of Bihar’s oldest political parties, dares to contest independently. They criticize me for contesting solo, but I proved my courage in the 2020 Assembly election. If they genuinely have the conviction, they too should compete on their own.”
When questioned about the NDA’s internal seat-sharing discussions, Paswan hinted at positive developments, stating that “good news will emerge during the auspicious month of Navratri.” He affirmed that his party expects a “respectable” allocation of seats within the NDA.
Janata Dal (United) State president Umesh Singh Kushwaha echoed Paswan’s sentiments, also characterizing the CWC meeting as a pressure tactic by the Congress to gain more seats within their alliance.
Kushwaha declared, “The Congress party holds no significant presence in Bihar, and this CWC meeting is merely an attempt to pressure the RJD for more seats.” He referenced the Congress’s failed alliance efforts with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh as a cautionary tale, adding, “The people of Bihar understand that only Chief Minister Nitish Kumar delivers results. This meeting will have no impact on our position.”
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Niraj Kumar dismissed the CWC meeting in Patna as a mere “show-off,” noting it’s the first such gathering since Independence. Kumar criticized the Congress, stating, “For decades, the Congress party has been synonymous with nepotism and corruption. Rahul Gandhi’s visit and attempts to forge an an alliance with Tejashwi Yadav are nothing more than election gimmicks.” He concluded by asserting that “Bihar’s populace is opting for stability and progress under the NDA’s ‘double-engine’ government led by Modi and Nitish, rejecting the Congress’s hollow promises.”