To ally or not to ally is Cong dilemma in Bihar
9 July 2013 11:47 PM GMT
After striking an alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in Jharkhand, the Congress is currently caught up in finalising whether it would go alone or with a companion in Bihar for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The going-alone line is being pitched by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, which has incidentally been of not much consequence so far.
The other option is choosing an alliance partner. ‘They are keen in following the Uttar Pradesh model in Bihar, wherein Congress would want the support of both Lalu Yadav’s
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) or Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United [JD (U)] at the centre,’ said a source.
The source added the party leadership has not taken a final call on this and discussions are still on in the party. The options for the Congress have increased with the JD (U) walking out of the NDA.
With these developments, the Congress leadership had a meeting with senior leaders hailing from the state. These included Shakeel Ahmed, general secretary, AICC, Mukul Wasnik, general secretary and formerly in-charge of Bihar and president of Bihar Congress.
Also present were defence minister AK Antony, who is the one entrusted by Congress president to decide on allies, and political secretary to Congress president, Ahmed Patel.
The going-alone line is being pitched by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, which has incidentally been of not much consequence so far.
The other option is choosing an alliance partner. ‘They are keen in following the Uttar Pradesh model in Bihar, wherein Congress would want the support of both Lalu Yadav’s
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) or Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United [JD (U)] at the centre,’ said a source.
The source added the party leadership has not taken a final call on this and discussions are still on in the party. The options for the Congress have increased with the JD (U) walking out of the NDA.
With these developments, the Congress leadership had a meeting with senior leaders hailing from the state. These included Shakeel Ahmed, general secretary, AICC, Mukul Wasnik, general secretary and formerly in-charge of Bihar and president of Bihar Congress.
Also present were defence minister AK Antony, who is the one entrusted by Congress president to decide on allies, and political secretary to Congress president, Ahmed Patel.
Next Story
