Friendly contest likely among INDIA bloc partners in Bihar’s Bachhwara as Congress, CPI field candidates

PATNA: The Bachhwara constituency in Bihar’s Begusarai district may witness a friendly contest among the INDIA bloc constituents in the upcoming assembly polls as the Congress fielded its youth wing leader Prakash Garib Das from there, while CPI’s former MLA Awadesh Roy filed his nomination papers from the seat.The party announced the candidates even before finalising the seat-sharing arrangement with the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ constituents, including the RJD.According to sources in the INDIA bloc, the RJD have agreed to Congress’ demand for 61 seats, and is holding talks on certain key constituencies that the grand old party has been insisting on.

“Things will become clearer once other ‘Mahagathbandhan’ constituents, along with the Congress, release more candidate lists for the remaining seats,” one of the INDIA bloc sources said.

In the 2020 polls, the Congress had contested 70 seats and won only 19. The Bihar assembly polls will be held on November 6 and 11, and the counting of votes will take place on November 14.

The last date for filing nominations for the first phase of polls is October 17, while that for the second round is October 20.

Congress sources said the party leadership has been in talks with its alliance partners, including the RJD and the Left, and the CPI nominee may withdraw his nomination from the constituency.