Cong revives ‘war room’ to mull Bihar strategy
Buoyed by the success in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has revived its “war room” at Gurdwara Rakabganj Road in New Delhi to work out a strategy for the coming Bihar Assembly elections. Besides, it is taking stock of the ground situation in the state.
The Congress managers are confident to check the Mandalite leaders — chief minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav who are not in a position to win the elections on their own.
The ruling Janata Dal (U) is depending on the BJP despite Mr Kumar distancing from hardliners like the Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. But he wants their support to get votes of the upper castes.
Mr Kumar knows that he cannot get votes of Yadavs, Bhumiars. The Congress strategists know very well Mr Kumar’s limitations and his appeal limited to some backward castes.
The Congress “war room” is buzzing with activity again as leaders hold strategy sessions with the aim of replicating the party’s impressive performance in Uttar Pradesh in the last Lok Sabha polls.
Senior leaders including Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Mr Ahmed Patel, Mr Digvijay Singh, Mr Prithviraj Chavan and AICC general secretary in-charge of Bihar Mukul Wasnik have been holding frequent meetings at the “war room” in a ministerial bungalow on Gurdwara Rakabganj Road.
The leaders have been finalising the campaign strategy and the issues to be taken up in the run up to the polls in the state, where the party is out of power for nearly two decades. The party currently has only 10 MLAs in the 234-member Assembly and won two out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in general elections last year.
The technologically well-equipped Centre will serve as a hub of party activities and will also look after the publicity material.
“Nitish Kumar is obviously our main target of attack,” said a party strategist. The Congress plans to expose his duel stand on secularism and claims of a good governance. In the last Lok Sabha elections, the Congress was unprepared. It was depending on Lalu Prasad Yadav whose RJD was part of the UPA. But his attempt to belittle by offering two seats had changed the situation. The RJD had received a major jolt in the general elections.
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