Cong in talks with parties for secular alliance in Bihar

Congress is in talks with various political parties to form a secular alliance against the BJP in the Bihar assembly polls, its spokesman Rajeev Gowda said today.
"The Congress is in discussion with multiple political parties to form a united alliance of secular parties against the BJP," he told reporters.
Asked if a Congress-JD(U) alliance in poll-bound Bihar bypassing Lalu Prasad's RJD could be a possibility given remarks to this effect by PCC Chief Ashok Chaudhary, Gowda said,"During pre-poll negotiations, various postures are taken."
He was asked whether the PCC chief was 'acting independently' while making such statements.
The PCC Chief had held talks with Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi two days back.

Reports quoting unnamed party sources had it that the Congress is inclined to form an alliance with the JD-U in Bihar to avoid RJD chief Lalu Prasad's attempts to drive a hard bargain in a broader coalition against the BJP.

Congress is currently supporting the JD-U government in Bihar and several of its state leaders, including state party president Chaudhary, have repeatedly reposed faith in Kumar's leadership and expressed willingness to contest the coming polls with him provided they are given a respectable treatment in seat sharing.
Chaudhary has gone on record to say that though there is a good possibility of the RJD, JD(U) and the Congress entering into an alliance, "we are clear on choosing the development face, Nitish, if talks between him and Lalu over seat sharing fail."

Speaking separately, AICC General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed, a senior party leader from Bihar, agreed with the PCC Chief's view that Nitish Kumar is a "good" Chief Minister.
"Nitish Kumar is a good Chief Minister. Politically, we have supported him thrice," Ahmed told PTI, adding "if he gets a chance for the fourth time, he will prove to be a good chief minister". Congress had supported Nitish when he parted ways from BJP. It also backed his move to make Jitan Ram Manjhi the CM and later again supported Nitish when he replaced Manjhi as Chief Minister.
He, however, hastened to add that as far as the agreement on Assembly elections is concerned, it depended upon the RJD and JD-U deciding to form an alliance.

"Congress wants an honourable alliance with sufficient number of seats. We will wait for the outcome of the RJD-JD-U talks. Then Congress will take a final call", said Ahmed, who was a minister in the erstwhile RJD-led government in the state and also PCC Chief earlier.