Bihar polls: Congress releases second list of candidates amid turmoil

Patna: The Congress party on Saturday released its second list of five candidates for the ensuing Bihar Assembly elections, even as internal dissent and allegations of irregularities in ticket distribution continue to rock the party.

According to an official letter issued from the office of AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, the Congress has nominated Shaswat Kedar Pandey from Narkatiaganj, Mohammad Qamrul Hoda from Kishanganj, Mohammad Irfan from Kasba, Jitendra Yadav from Purnea, and Mohan Srivastava from Gaya Town.

The nomination process for these constituencies will continue till October 20, while polling is scheduled for November 11 in the second phase.

Earlier, the Congress had announced 48 candidates in its first list.

However, the party continues to face heavy criticism within the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) for delays in finalising seat-sharing arrangements, which led to the first phase of nominations concluding without clarity on several constituencies.

The unrest within the party intensified after Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru was attacked by party workers at Patna airport earlier this week. Angry workers accused him of selling tickets and alleged large-scale irregularities in candidate selection.

A video of the incident and of verbal altercations at the Congress state office, Sadakat Ashram, also went viral on social media a few days ago.

Adding to the turmoil, Congress MP and senior leader Tariq Anwar publicly questioned the candidate selection process.

Anwar cited the case of Gajanand Shahi alias Munna Shahi, who narrowly lost the 2020 Barbigha Assembly election by just 113 votes but was denied a ticket this time.

“Shockingly, those who lost by 28,000 to 30,000 votes have been re-nominated, while Munna Shahi, who nearly won, was dropped,” Anwar said.

He also alleged that Munna Shahi was made to lose by the administration in the last election.

Party insiders claim that Allavaru, who has limited political experience and previously worked in the corporate sector, has been given excessive control over Bihar affairs.

Some leaders allege that his decisions have strained ties with the RJD, the Congress’s long-standing ally in the state.

As dissent brews and grassroots anger simmers, Congress faces mounting pressure to restore unity and discipline within its ranks before the crucial second phase of the Bihar Assembly polls.

IANS