In Bihar, there has been a deep rift in the alliance between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress. Both the parties have fought separately in the by-elections and the MLC elections. Now the state Congress leaders have requested to go alone in the next Bihar elections to strengthen the party. Participating in the party’s three-day ‘Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir’ in Udaipur, Congress Legislature Party leader Ajit Sharma on Sunday stressed on the need to make the party self-reliant instead of compromising with alliance partners.
“We don’t need to bow down before others,” Sharma said on the last day of the camp on Sunday. Rather, instead we have to work to make our party stronger. If we continue to be underestimated by other parties, it sends a wrong message to the workers and demoralizes them. He further said that the election-related strategy can be decided with the alliance when the elections come.
Talking to Times of India, he said, “But we will be in touch with like-minded parties because defeating the BJP is the main priority.” Sharma expressed his views at the camp meeting, which was attended by senior party leaders like Priyanka Gandhi, Bhupesh Baghel, Kamal Nath and Mallikarjun Kharge. Asked how the party’s national leaders reacted, Sharma replied that everything has been noted. Now it depends on the party high command.
He further cited the example of Priyanka Gandhi, who had decided to go solo in the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Shakeel Ahmed Khan, MLA from Kadva and National Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), pointed out the need to clarify the ideology. Khan, who is part of the group that organized the brainstorming session on ‘economy’, said it is important to increase public relations, especially with regard to Bihar.
Khan said, “There is a need to make positive changes and the government’s plan should be implemented properly, which is not happening.” We also have to tell people about the institutions and properties that have been sold by the NDA government, including those that are making profits. Congress state president Madan Mohan Jha, party MP Akhilesh Singh and AICC secretary Chandan Yadav besides senior Congress leader Ranjeeta Ranjan were also present in the camp.