Congress aims to regain influence in Bihar elections

Congress leader Pawan Khera announced on Sunday that the party aims to regain its influence in Bihar, similar to its status before 1990. He did not clarify whether Congress would run in the upcoming assembly elections alone or with allies, saying, "Let the right time come." Congress has seen a decline in Bihar since 1990, when Lalu Prasad of the RJD became Chief Minister. In the 2020 elections, Congress participated in a coalition with the RJD but only won 19 out of 70 seats. Sources say the RJD is hesitant to give Congress a similar number of seats this time. To demonstrate its strength, Congress has begun a statewide campaign called ‘Palayan Roko, Rozgar Do’ to advocate for job creation and prevent migration. Khera emphasized that there are still eight months until the election and promised to discuss alliance plans later. Khera acknowledged that Congress is working to strengthen its leadership in Bihar, despite facing criticism about its grassroots support. He stated, "We always stand on our own feet, but this time, we will run in Bihar." The party's slogan is "Sarkar badlo, Bihar badlo," urging change in the state. During a press conference, Khera highlighted concerns about Bihar’s healthcare system and criticized Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's administration, citing a report on child malnutrition and healthcare shortages. Meanwhile, Congress state in-charge Krishna Allavaru said the party is focused on connecting with voters to address issues like unemployment and corruption. Political analysts believe Kanhaiya Kumar’s campaign is aimed at gauging grassroots support before discussing seat-sharing arrangements with the RJD. Both Allavaru and new state president Rajesh Kumar asserted that Congress is not a secondary party to any alliance in Bihar.