Summary:
Patna, Dec 12 (PTI) AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Bihar as part of the “yatra” that will commence later this month, a senior party functionary said on Monday.
Addressing his inaugural press conference upon being appointed as the BPCC president, Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said Kharge has already accepted the invitation to address the rally at Banka, where the state-wide yatra will take off on December 28.
“When the yatra reaches Patna, a huge rally will be organised which will be addressed by either Sonia Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, depending upon their respective availability”, said Singh adding that Rahul Gandhi, “will definitely be at the public meeting in Gaya where the yatra is scheduled to conclude.
By that time he will be through with the Bharat Jodo Yatra”.
Although the official website of the “Bharat Jodo Yatra” states that the 3,500 km long march will end in Pathankot on January 21, there have been reports in a section of the media that it will conclude at Delhi on the Republic Day.
The yatra in Bihar is likely to be more than 1,000 km long and cover nearly half of the state"s 38 districts.
The new Bihar Congress president also said that his party was not satisfied with only one cabinet berth in the Nitish Kumar government and he would be meeting the chief minister soon to press for more.
He also said that there was a need for a “coordination committee” in the ruling “Mahagathbandhan” and claimed, “had there been a better coordination among allies, we would not have lost Kurhani assembly by-poll”.
“When we demand a coordination committee, we are not challenging the wisdom of the Chief Minister who is the leader of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar.
We are only pointing out to his initiative when the Grand Alliance was first formed in 2015 and he used to meet even district-level office bearers of the RJD and the Congress”, added Singh.
The BPCC president side-stepped a query about JD(U) leaders repeatedly pressing for Nitish Kumar as the Prime Minister in the event of the BJP"s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and refused to be drawn in a controversy over whether the Congress will accept anybody other than Rahul Gandhi for the top post.
“We respect the sentiments of JD(U) with regard to its leader.
We also do not disagree that if a Bihari becomes the PM, it will be a matter of pride for all people of the state.
But first, we need to dislodge the BJP from power.
For that better coordination among like-minded parties is needed.