Patna: Ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar, it was said that the Congress party did not have much hope and will struggle to resurrect its lost support base in the state as the party had faced many challenges without any effective leadership.
The way Congress party looks set to return in Bihar, it certainly indicates that the party is getting stronger in the state, but this has also increased the party’s worries manifold.
The Congress is worried that the BJP may poach its MLAs the way the saffron party did in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The Congress is not taking any chance and making all possible efforts to prevent such nefarious designs of the rival parties.
It is said that Congress president Sonia Gandhi herself is monitoring the entire development.
In the 2020 Assembly elections, the Congress has contested on 70 seats. The exit poll suggests that the Congress is winning 35 assembly seats.
The Congress had won a total of 27 seats in the 2015 assembly elections when Nitish Kumar had allied with the RJD and the Congress.
The alliance with the RJD in 2020 got the party 70 seats to contest from the RJD and the exit polls point to the grand old party winning 35 seats.
The manner in which the Congress worked during the election and the role the party leaders played in fighting the poll has raised a lot of hopes for the Congress in Bihar.
Although, the weak organisation remains a key concern for them due to which the party has to seal alliances to contest the polls.
The Congress has appointed observers to monitor Bihar situation once the exit polls were out.
Apart from Randeep Singh Surjewala, the Congress has sent Bihar in-charge Shakti Singh Gohil and many other leaders to the state to ensure that nothing goes wrong in the run-up to the formation of the government if the Grand Alliance gets the majority.
The Congress fears that the BJP may try to poach its MLAs in case there is a hung assembly.
However, BJP is not the only fear that haunts the Congress. There are many other reasons too.
It is to be noted that Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Railway Minister in the UPA government at the Centre from 2004 to 2009.
It was then, not directly, but in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had a tacit agreement with Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan.
At the time of elections, Yadav and Paswan contested elections separately from the Congress in Bihar.
It was said from the public platforms that they have decided to stay away from the UPA government.
When the people voted for them, Lalu Prasad Yadav went to Delhi again and sat all day at Sonia Gandhi's residence in Delhi to decide his role and participation in the UPA-II government, but Sonia Gandhi did not even talk to him.
It was discussed in political circles that Rahul Gandhi did not have a good opinion about Lalu Prasad Yadav.
The Representation of the People’s Act has also been dangerous for Lalu Prasad Yadav, which the Congress had dumped under pressure from Rahul Gandhi.
'Congress leaders not happy with Tejashwi'
In the battle of power in Bihar’s 2020 elections, there was a kind of disenchantment in the Congress over the distribution of seats.
The party’s state unit leaders were not very keen to talk to Tejashwi Yadav nor did Tejashwi wanted to talk to Madan Mohan Jha even though he is the state unit president of Bihar Congress.
Tejashwi wanted to talk but only to Congress’ election in-charge of Bihar Shakti Singh Gohil or Rahul Gandhi or Sonia, who played a key role in sealing the deal with the RJD in Bihar.
Rahul and Priyanka continued to have parleys with Tejashwi to ensure that nothing goes wrong, but Tejashwi Yadav did not give preference to the Congress leaders of Bihar, which they have not liked.
It is being said that Tejashwi is not comfortable with many Congress leaders but he has his own choices whom he would like to have in his Cabinet if the Grand Alliance gets the majority to form the government in the state.
The Congress' top leaders are also aware of the fact that the 'RJD Yuva Turk' does not want anyone who could create unnecessary troubles or glitches for him.
It is said that he will opt for those in the Congress whose track record to the Gandhi family and the cause of social justice and harmony has been unwavering.
He will also have to balance the caste equations. The Congress leaders have started approaching their masters in Delhi and Patna but there is no guarantee that they would be able to help them out as Tejashwi has been very steadfast in his assertion.
Tejashwi had made it clear that he would only talk to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi regarding tickets or the induction of Congress leaders in the government.
Since the Congress has a hope to cheer about as the exit polls suggest, its leaders are expecting the return of good days for them after a long hiatus.
Also Read: No indiscriminate firing, inappropriate behavior: RJD warns party workers ahead of D-day
