PATNA: Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar on Monday clarified that the grand old party’s alliance with Opposition Mahagathbandhan, a part of INDIA bloc, was only for Bihar assembly elections and that the party would now focus on strengthening the organisation.
Kumar was talking to the media after a crucial meeting with all district presidents and officer bearers’ frontal organisations. It was the first meeting with district level leaders after the party’s drubbing in the state assembly election.
His statement has given rise to speculation that Congress may break away from the Opposition alliance in near future. “We discussed on four issues at today’s meeting, including factors for party’s poor performance in Bihar elections, proposed agitation against ‘vote theft’ in New Delhi, election of leader of legislative party and coordination within the party during election,” the state president said.
A section of leaders has already advocated for breaking away its alliance with the ally-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)- and go solo next elections. Monday’s meeting assumed significance in the wake of a series of review meetings in Delhi to ascertain the reasons for the party’s debacle in Bihar polls.
On Saturday, senior leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met party’s six newly elected MLAs from Bihar in New Delhi. During the meeting, the leaders discussed on possibility of restructuring within the state unit. The leaders also conveyed mounting pressure from within the state unit to snap ties with RJD.
Congress legislature party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan said that the review meeting is part of a broader assessment of the party’s strategy in Bihar following its poor electoral performance in the recently held assembly polls. Khan, however, admitted that most of the candidates, who lost in the assembly polls, said that they would have done better had they not allied with RJD. “It is up to the party high command to decide what should be the future strategy,” he told the media.
A large section of candidates, during feedback session with Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi last week, argued that 'an over aggressive stand by RJD' made lakhs of voters to turn away from Mahagathbandhan candidates, fearing a return of 'jungle raj' of Lalu-Rabri era.