The Indian National Congress is set to convene its Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Wednesday, October 8, to finalize the list of candidates who will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
The meeting will be chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and will be held virtually, with key CEC members and senior party leaders in attendance. Notably, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will be joining the meeting online while he is on a scheduled visit to South American countries. Other prominent members expected to attend the virtual session include Sonia Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, KC Venugopal, Amee Yajnik, Uttam Kumar Reddy, and TS Singh Deo.
The Political Landscape in Bihar
The Congress is contesting the election as part of a significant state alliance. Its partners include the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and various Left parties, specifically the CPI and CPI (ML). This coalition is preparing to offer a strong contest against the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which comprises the BJP, JD(U), LJP (RV), and HAMS, among others.
While the party has not yet announced the final seat-sharing arrangement with its allies, Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, recently concluded the Voter Adhikar Yatra across various districts in the state, in conjunction with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. This joint campaign signals strong coordination within the alliance.
Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Harish Rawat, expressed confidence in the alliance’s prospects, stating that Bihar is poised “to show the path of change to the entire country in the upcoming assembly polls.”
Bihar Election Schedule
The Election Commission has already announced the schedule for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly elections:
- Phase 1 Polling: November 6
- Phase 2 Polling: November 11
- Counting of Votes: November 14
The final electoral roll for the state contains 7.42 crore voters. The Election Commission noted a significant revision process, stating that 65 lakh voters were removed from the draft list, bringing the number down from 7.89 crore electors as of June 24 this year.