Patna: The Congress Working Committee on Wednesday began its meeting in Bihar’s Patna ahead of the Legislative Assembly elections later this year.
Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge hoisted the national flag at Sadaqat Ashram, Congress’ headquarters in Bihar, ahead of the meeting.
Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Pawan Khera, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president Rajesh Ram, the party’s Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, and Congress Legislature Party leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan, among others, reached the Sadaqat Ashram for the meeting.
Earlier today, Congress leader Pawan Khera said that historic decisions will be made in the party’s working committee meeting to “safeguard democracy”.
“This is a historic CWC (Congress Working Committee) meeting in a historic state, and historic decisions will be made,” Khera said while speaking to reporters.
Referring to the Sadaqat Ashram, Khera told ANI, “This is a historic place that has witnessed the independence movement. The message that will be delivered from here will be historic. It will be for the democracy to safeguard the democracy. Every citizen is threatened by thieves.”
The meeting comes in the backdrop of the “vote theft” allegations levelled by Rahul Gandhi. Congress general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir criticised the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar.
He told reporters, “There are elections here. But the names of 65 lakh voters have been deleted from the voter list here. So, there is a debate in India as well as outside…If a voter cannot exercise their franchise, where is democracy then? So, our leader, Rahul Gandhi, has presented the complete research of ‘vote chori’ before the people. People of Bihar are politically intelligent. Bihar is considered a model state, politically. So, we have to make every voter aware.”
Calling it a historic day, “This is a historic day. Perhaps this is the first expanded CWC in Patna, post-independence. Right now, Bihar is the focal point of the entire country.”
The timing and location of the meeting are considered crucial, as the Bihar Assembly elections are expected to take place in October-November 2025.