Congress-led alliance will defeat communal forces in Bihar: Shakeel Ahmad

Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad on Wednesday said that his party would contest the Bihar Assembly polls in alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (United) to defeat the communal forces in the state.

Ahmad welcomed the decision of the Election Commission which announced five phase polling for the Bihar polls.

"We are not in the habit of condemning and criticizing the decision of the Election Commission. We are in alliance with the RJD and JD (U) in Bihar and we will fight election together to defeat communal forces in Bihar," he said.

The Congress leader further said that there is no unity in the NDA as they are speaking in different voices.

Ahmad also expressed hope that the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) contest the Bihar polls in alliance with the Congress so that the communal forces do not succeed in their mission.

"We wanted them to be with us to defeat the communal forces," he said.

The Bihar Assembly will go to polls in five phases. Voting for the first phase will be held on October 12, for second on October 16, for third on October 28, fourth on November 1 and fifth on November 5.

The counting of votes will take place on November 8.