Bihar, Oct 19 : The Congress party on Saturday released its second list of five candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, even as internal dissent and allegations of irregularities in ticket distribution continue to shake the organisation.
According to an official letter issued by AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal, the party has fielded Shaswat Kedar Pandey from Narkatiaganj, Mohammad Qamrul Hoda from Kishanganj, Mohammad Irfan from Kasba, Jitendra Yadav from Purnea, and Mohan Srivastava from Gaya Town.
The nomination process for these constituencies will continue until October 20, while polling for the second phase is scheduled for November 11. Earlier, Congress had announced 48 candidates in its first list.
However, the party remains under fire within the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) over delays in finalising seat-sharing arrangements, resulting in the first phase of nominations closing without clarity on several seats.
The internal unrest took an ugly turn earlier this week when Bihar Congress in charge Krishna Allavaru was attacked by angry party workers at Patna airport. The workers accused him of “selling tickets” and alleged large scale irregularities in the selection process. A video of the confrontation at the party’s state headquarters, Sadakat Ashram, later went viral on social media.
Adding fuel to the crisis, senior Congress leader and MP Tariq Anwar publicly questioned the fairness of the ticket distribution. He cited the case of Gajanand Shahi alias Munna Shahi, who narrowly lost the 2020 Barbigha Assembly election by just 113 votes but was denied a ticket this time.
“Shockingly, those who lost by 28,000 to 30,000 votes have been re nominated, while Munna Shahi, who nearly won, was dropped,” Anwar said, also alleging that the administration had worked against Shahi in the last election.
Party insiders have criticised Allavaru’s growing influence, pointing out his limited political experience and corporate background. They claim his decisions have strained the Congress’s relationship with its long-time ally, the RJD.
As dissent grows and grassroots frustration mounts, Congress faces mounting pressure to restore unity and discipline within its Bihar unit ahead of the crucial second phase of the Assembly polls.