PATNA: The Congress released the party’s first list of 48 candidates late on Thursday night—a day before the deadline for filing nominations for the first phase of Bihar elections—even as INDIA bloc is yet to announce its seat-sharing formula.
Five women and two Muslim candidates figure in the Congress list of candidates.
The deadlock over seat-sharing among INDIA bloc partners may have been broken after senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad over phone on Thursday. However, the final seat-sharing deal is not known.
According to sources, the demand for higher seat allocation by influential regional parties including Mukesh Sahani-led Vikassheel Insaan Party and the pushback by the others was one of the reasons for the stalemate.
While Sahani, an ex-minister, demanded 24 seats, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav was reportedly ready to give only 15 seats to VIP.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders including AICC in-charge of Bihar Krishna Allavaru, the party’s state unit chief Rajesh Kumar and Congress Legislature Party leader Shakeel Ahmed met RJD chief Lalu Prasad to reach a consensus. Later, Gandhi and Kharge spoke to Lalu.