Congress ready to go solo in Bihar if Mahagathbandhan doesn't work out

Chairman of Congress Screening Committee for Bihar polls, Avinash Pande, who was on a two-day visit to the state, said the party is preparing to contest on all 243 seats, indicating that the party is ready to go solo if seat-sharing talks within the Mahagathbandhan do not work out.

Patna (Bihar): In what could spell more trouble for the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar, the Congress has indicated that it might go solo on all the 243 seats if the alliance partners do not zero in on a respectable seat-sharing agreement.

Chairman of Congress Screening Committee for Bihar polls, Avinash Pande, who was on a two-day visit to the state, said that the party is prepared to fight the elections on all 243 seats.

Speaking to reporters here, Pande said, "If there is a gathbandhan (alliance), then fine. But if not, we have two plans ready."

"For the past 10 years, the political atmosphere in the state called for a gathbandhan. However, the motive is not the alliance alone, but to defeat the failures and high-handedness of the NDA government. The aim is to bring together every party against the NDA and defeat them," he added.

Pande however, refused to divulge any details on the seat-sharing agreement.

"We will know about that in time, but for now we are working on all 243 seats," he said.

Read:Confusion prevails over seat sharing in Bihar election

On the selection of candidates, Pande said that a report will be sent to the high command in Delhi, following which the candidates will be finalised. He added that loyal party workers will be given the preference for tickets.

"There is enthusiasm within the Congress in Bihar. We have done good work in the past few years, the party organisation has only strengthened in Bihar," he said while talking about the party's prospects in the upcoming polls.

"Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, Congress will script new history in Bihar to save democracy and ensure progress. We also want to ensure that the plight the migrants went through, is never repeated again," he added.

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