Congress looking for 60-plus seats, deadlock over 3-4 seats: Bihar MP Tariq Anwar

NEW DELHI: With barely 48 hours remaining for the first phase of nominations in the Bihar Assembly elections, Congress on Tuesday said that the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) may finalise the seat-sharing formula on Wednesday , and it will make a formal announcement soon. Speaking to this newspaper, Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP from Bihars Katihar, Tariq Anwar, said that the main allies, Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), will conclude the talks on Wednesday and announce the seat-sharing formula. The party is eyeing to contest 60-plus seats, he said, asserting that the party wants a respectable tally that will boost its chances of electoral success. Rahul Gandhi will hold a meeting with the state leaders and others in the evening, and a decision will be taken, he said. The leader also dismissed reports of Congress unwillingness to announce Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Minister face of the alliance. Tejashwi is the opposition leader, and he is leading the alliance. Hence, there is no confusion, Anwar said.The Congress did not make a formal announcement because the party announces the CM candidate only after the election. However, there is no confusion about Tejashwi because RJD is contesting more seats, he added. The bone of contention between the two allies was three to four seats, the leader added. The seats in question are Kahalgaon, Narkatiaganj, Bachhwara, and Vasaliganj, said Anwar. There was some strain between the parties over these seats, which the Congress considers its stronghold. Talks are still going on, and I am optimistic that the stalemate will be over by tomorrow, he said. Congress candidate Vinay Varma had fought from Narkatiaganj in the 2020 election. Anwar also dismissed reports of uneasiness between the two parties. Although RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav held a crucial meeting with senior Congress leaders, including General Secretary K. C. Venugopal, the meeting did not yield any result. While Yadav left Delhi without meeting senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Anwar said, Tejashwi met state and central leadership. The leaders explained our position, and after the meetings, the situation has further improved. Another friction point is the Mukesh Sahni-led Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), which is currently negotiating with the alliance for 30 seats. Talks with the VIP are on, but it is difficult to meet their demand. He wants the announcement of the Deputy CM, which the Congress is not willing to. This is not our tradition before the election, he added. The meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC), which was held late on Wednesday evening, discussed the candidates, alliance strategies, and manifesto, he said. The parties may release a joint manifesto this week, he added. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, along with AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K. C. Venugopal and party treasurer Ajay Maken, were present at the CEC meeting. Rahul Gandhi joined the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting virtually. According to sources, the party discussed more than 50 candidates for assembly seats on which it is likely to contest the polls. The CEC had finalized the names of 25 candidates, including 17 sitting MLAs, last week. BJPs first Bihar candidate list signals calculated caste engineering