Bihar Congress Proposes To Contest Same Number Of Lok Sabha Seats As 2019 Despite JD(U)'s Entry Into Opposition Alliance

In response to the plans of allies Janata Dal-United (JDU) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to contest 16 seats each in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Bihar Congress has proposed an alternative approach as reported by NDTV.

State Congress chief Akhilesh Singh suggested that instead of both allies contesting 16 seats, they should each contest 15 seats, leaving one seat for the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPIML), and the remaining seats for the Congress.

Singh stated, "Every political party associated with the opposition bloc will have to be flexible if the INDI Alliance has to contest elections together."

He acknowledged the historical alliance between JDU and BJP in Bihar in 2019 and welcomed the current alliance with JDU.

Bihar has a total of 40 Lok Sabha seats, and in the 2019 elections, the Congress contested nine seats.

The party aims for a respectable number of seats in the upcoming elections, and there are differing opinions within the INDI Alliance regarding the allocation of seats to CPIML.

During the 2019 elections, JDU won 16 seats, BJP won 17 seats, Lok Janshakti Party led by Chirag Paswan secured six seats, and the Congress won a single seat in Kishanganj.

The ongoing seat-sharing discussions within the INDI Alliance are being conducted by state unit leaders of the Congress, as stated by the party's chief, Mallikarjun Kharge.