Congress Distributes Tickets for Bihar Assembly Elections Amid Alliance Negotiations and Internal Protests

Photographs of various candidates were shared on Bihar Congress's X handle as the party began distributing tickets.

Patna:

The Congress party issued tickets to several leaders for Bihar's assembly elections on Wednesday, including its state president, while simultaneously managing internal dissent and negotiating with alliance partners.

Despite not officially releasing a candidate list, the party faced backlash when disgruntled aspirants confronted state Congress president Rajesh Kumar and legislative party leader Shakil Ahmed Khan at Patna airport. The protestors accused them of "selling tickets" as the leaders returned from Delhi.

Kumar and Khan had initially planned to distribute tickets at Sadaqat Ashram, the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters. However, sensing hostility, they changed plans and convened at a leader's residence where candidates received their party symbols privately.

The Bihar Congress shared photographs of several confirmed candidates on their X platform. Among them was Rajesh Kumar himself, seeking re-election from the reserved Kutumba constituency. Other prominent nominees included sitting MLAs Anand Shankar Singh (Aurangabad), Vijendra Chaudhary (Muzaffarpur), and Pratima Das (Raja Pakar).

The Congress appears to have followed the approach of allies like RJD and CPI(ML) Liberation, as well as competitors like Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), all of whom have been distributing tickets without formal announcements.

Many candidates have already filed nomination papers, with the deadline for the first phase ending Friday and continuing until October 20 for the second and final phase.

Later that night, Kumar and Khan, accompanied by AICC Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, visited RJD president Lalu Prasad's residence. Reports suggest they reached an "amicable deal" resolving their seat-sharing disputes.

The Congress had reportedly taken a more assertive position initially, believing Rahul Gandhi's Voter Adhikar Yatra had boosted their prospects in a state where they've long been considered politically diminished.

According to unconfirmed reports, Congress agreed to contest 61 seats, nine fewer than in 2020 when they won only 19. The RJD will likely secure the largest share, though potentially contesting fewer seats than last time when they won 75 out of 144 contested.

The remaining seats in the 243-member assembly are expected to be distributed among Left allies including CPI(ML) Liberation, CPI(M), CPI, and former state minister Mukesh Sahani's party.