NEW DELHI: With the Election Commission expected to announce the Bihar Assembly poll schedule next week, the Congress party has begun internal discussions to finalise its list of candidates. The party is expected to field most of its sitting MLAs, according to sources aware of the developments. While the party is set to contest fewer seats compared to the 2020 elections, seat-sharing talks among the INDIA bloc partners are expected to conclude by the first week of October, said sources.
In the previous assembly elections, the Congress contested 70 seats but secured only 19, drawing criticism from within the party. A leader noted that this time the party plans to contest 60-65 seats to accommodate alliance partners.
The party plans to retain its sitting MLAs for the 19 seats won, as dropping incumbents could lead to internal rebellion and result in rebel candidates, which would negatively impact prospects. A senior leader explained, “We don’t want a repeat of Haryana,” where denied tickets led to independents contesting. Candidate selection meetings are ongoing in Delhi and Bihar, with input from local leaders, block committees, and district units.
Some Congress leaders want to drop poorly performing sitting MLAs based on internal surveys, hoping fresh faces may improve chances in key seats. However, the leadership considers the risk of revolt and rebel candidates too high, especially as the party aims to leverage Rahul Gandhi’s campaign against vote theft.
“The party doesn’t want a setback in the form of rebels at a time when Congress is looking to cash in on Rahul Gandhi’s campaign against vote theft,” said a senior party leader, referring to the party’s national narrative ahead of the elections. In the 2020 assembly elections, the RJD contested 144 seats and won 75.
The CPI(ML) contested 19 seats, winning 12. The CPI won 2 of 6, and the CPI(M) won 2 of 4.