Amidst the ongoing stalemate over seat-sharing in the INDIA bloc in Bihar, even as the assembly elections are merely a few weeks away, the Congress has been trying hard to play down the "friendly contests" between alliance partners on a few seats.
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, on Wednesday, asserted that all is well within the alliance and that a friendly contest between alliance partners on five to seven seats in the assembly polls should not be interpreted otherwise.
There are at least eight assembly seats in Bihar, including Narkatiaganj, Vaishali, Rajapakar, Rosera, Bachhwara, Kahalgaon, Biharsharif and Sikandara, where constituents of the INDIA bloc will fight against each other due to internal discord between the Congress, RJD and Left parties over seat-sharing agreements.
The Congress is contesting in 61 seats. The RJD has fielded 143 candidates, the CPI nine, and the CPI(M) is contesting in four seats. The CPI(ML) Liberation, which contested 19 and won 12 seats in the 2020 state polls, has fielded 20 candidates this time.
Gehlot argued that friendly contests happen in other states as well, and added that the Mahagathbandhan is firm and united to fight against the BJP and JD(U). He said Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav will soon start the election campaign together.
Talking to reporters after meeting RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, Gehlot said, "I had a good discussion with Lalu ji and Tejashwi Yadav. A press conference will be held tomorrow to update the media about the current situation. All constituents of the INDIA bloc will unitedly contest against the NDA candidates."
How will they hold together the people of Bihar, asks Chirag Paswan
Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan claimed that the Mahagathbandhan has "completely collapsed" because of the infighting.
"Today, Ashok Gehlot has come to Bihar after everything is over in the Mahagathbandhan. Where is Rahul Gandhi? Isn't it the responsibility of senior leaders to sit and sort things out maturely?"
He sought to know how an alliance that cannot keep its parties together will hold together the 14 crore people of Bihar.
"These people either don't know how to form an alliance or how to keep the alliance intact. The people of Bihar have understood that they are not going to give the state into their hands."
Congress MP Tariq Anwar defended Gehlot, saying he is the former chief minister of Rajasthan and a senior Congress leader, and that he is coordinating between the Congress and the RJD.