Congress top brass strategises with Bihar leaders for Assembly polls

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi deliberated with party leaders from Bihar here on Tuesday amid ongoing seat-sharing talks among "mahagathbandhan" allies ahead of the Assembly polls in the state.

Besides Kharge and Gandhi, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal, Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram, AICC in-charge of the state Krishna Allavaru, party treasurer Ajay Maken, MPs Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Ranjeet Ranjan, Tariq Anwar and Mohammed Javed, as well as Independent MP from Purnea Pappu Yadav, participated in the meeting at the Congress president's residence here.

The feedback from the Voter Adhikar Yatra, seat sharing among allies and the party's strategy for the Bihar polls were deliberated upon, sources said.

The deliberations came days after INDIA bloc leaders in the state attended a meeting hosted by Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) Tejashwi Yadav, who heads the coordination committee for the opposition coalition.

Talking to reporters after the nearly-three-hour meeting, Allavaru said, "We took stock of the situation after the highly-successful Voter Adhikar Yatra. Things are positive."  Asked about the seat-sharing formula, he said, "Since we wish to bring on board a few more parties, other INDIA bloc partners must be willing to make sacrifices."  Currently comprising the Congress, RJD, three Left parties and former state minister Mukesh Sahni's Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP), the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is expected to include Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's JMM and the RLJP headed by Chirag Paswan's estranged uncle, Pashupati Kumar Paras.