UP Congress asks district units adjoining Bihar to help INDIA bloc candidates in neighbouring state

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Congress has asked all its units in the districts adjoining Bihar and senior leaders from the region to help out in the upcoming Assembly polls in the neighbouring state and ensure the victory of the Congress and INDIA bloc candidates.

The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee has issued a directive, asking all units in the districts adjoining Bihar to provide full support to the neighbouring districts to ensure the victory of the INDIA bloc candidates, AICC general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pande told PTI.

"Leaders from districts adjoining Bihar and those from all over Uttar Pradesh who have shown interest in contributing in the Bihar polls have been asked to help out. We have urged the leaders from 12-13 districts adjoining Bihar to pick an area and voluntarily go and support the INDIA bloc candidates, with many of them having families and relatives," he said.

Even during Rahul Gandhi's Voter Adhikar Yatra, Congress leaders and workers had worked hard in the adjoining Bihar districts, especially when the rally started from Sasaram, Pande said.

"To ensure the victory of the INDIA candidates in Bihar, especially those from the border districts of Purvanchal are expected to ensure a significant presence in the Assembly constituencies nearby.... For example, those from Maharajganj will support West Champaran district, those from Kushinagar will support Gopalganj district, those from Gorakhpur will cooperate in East Champaran district, so on and so forth," he said.

The leaders and workers of the Uttar Pradesh Congress have been asked to use their contacts and relationships in Bihar by working in areas convenient to them.

Echoing similar views, UPCC president Ajay Rai told PTI that since several party leaders and workers of the districts located next to Bihar have influence, friends and relatives in the neighbouring state, it was decided that they could be of great help to the INDIA bloc candidates in the upcoming Assembly polls.

The Congress is contesting 61 seats in Bihar, nine less than the number of seats it had contested in 2020, when it had won only 19.

The filing of nomination papers for the second and final phase of the Bihar polls ended on Monday, with the INDIA opposition bloc appearing fractured as its constituents would end up fighting each other in a number of seats.

The 243-member Bihar Assembly will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the results set to be announced on November 14.