Patna: As seat-sharing discussions within the Grand Alliance remain unresolved, the Congress party has approved 25 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The announcement was confirmed by Mohammad Javed, Congress MP from Kishanganj and member of the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC).
“The CEC has cleared 25 seats. President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi have expressed their consent,” Javed said.
The Congress CEC convened in Delhi to screen potential candidates. Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram, speaking after the meeting, said that the party discussed the selections extensively, with members sharing their views openly.
The meeting was chaired by KC Venugopal and Ajay Maken, while Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge participated via video conferencing. Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, state president Rajesh Ram, and other CEC members attended in person.
Ram indicated that most sitting MLAs are expected to be re-nominated. However, deliberations continue over two legislators, widely reported to be Murari Gautam of Chenari and Siddharth Singh of Bikram. Gautam resigned from Congress, while Singh has reportedly been aligning with the NDA in recent months, suggesting both are unlikely to receive tickets.
The names of the remaining candidates are expected to be announced only after the Grand Alliance finalises seat-sharing arrangements. Officials have indicated that clarity on the distribution of seats should emerge within the next 48 hours.
