Congress releases another list of 6 candidates for Bihar polls, total reaches 60

The Congress released another list of six candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections, taking its total to 60. The announcement came amid continuing uncertainty over seat-sharing with ally RJD, as tensions rise within the INDIA bloc ahead of nominations

New Delhi: The Congress released another list of six candidates for the Bihar Assembly polls on Monday, bringing the total number of candidates announced by the party to 60. The Congress’s list was announced post-midnight, even as a formal seat-sharing deal has eluded the Mahagathbandhan with the RJD and the Congress, the two main constituents of the alliance, unable to reach an understanding.

According to the list of six candidates, the Congress fielded Surendra Prasad Kushwaha from Valmiki Nagar, Abidur Rehman from Araria, Jalil Mastan from Amour, Tauquir Alam from Barari, Praveen Singh Kushwaha from Kahalgaon, and Vinod Chaudhary from Sikandra (SC).

---

Chinks in the INDIA bloc’s armour became all too obvious on Sunday in poll-bound Bihar, where disgruntled aspirants in the RJD and the Congress had a field day charging the leadership with having put tickets up for sale.

The last day for filing nomination papers for the second and final phase is Monday. The Congress and the RJD have continued to disburse party symbols. The Congress released its first list of 48 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections on Thursday, fielding its state unit chief, Rajesh Ram, from the Kutumba seat and CLP leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan from the Kadwa.

Then on Friday, the party fielded Rishi Mishra from Jale in a one-off announcement. On Saturday, the party released a list of five candidates.