In Bihar Elections poll panel, Congress swaps state chief with Surjewala as chaos reigns

Facing massive protests within the party in Bihar, Congress on Sunday formed various panels for the upcoming assembly polls, but didn't include BPCC president Madan Mohan Jha and BPCC campaign committee chairman Akhilesh Prasad Singh in it. Party general secretary Randeep Surjewala has been named chairman of the election management and coordination committee. The decision to remove its own party chief in the state from poll panels highlights the chaos within the party ahead of polls. 

Out of the six panels, Mohan Prakash was made the convenor of the 14-member election management and coordination committee. The panel included senior leaders like Meira Kumar, Tariq Anwar, Shatrughan Sinha, Kirti Azad, Shakeel Ahmed and Sanjay Nirupam. Congress president Sonia Gandhi also approved the setting up of the publicity committee, media coordination committee, public meeting and logistics committee, legal committee and office management committee. Subodh Kumar has been appointed the convenor of the publicity committee, while Jaeya Mishra was named the co-convenor of the panel.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera has been named the chairman of the media coordination committee for the polls, while Prem Chand Mishra will be the convenor and Rajesh Rathor co-convenor of the panel. Brijesh Kumar Munan has been appointed convenor of the public meeting and logistics committee, while Varun Chopra has been named the chairman of the legal committee. The party's office management committee includes the likes of Ashok Kumar and Kaukab Quadri.

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Congress has also released the list of star campaigners which include former Speaker Meira Kumar, ex-MP Shatrughan Sinha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi. Other star-campaigners include three Congress CMs - Amarinder Singh, Bhupesh Baghel, Ashok Gehlot, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. The list of campaigners - for phase 1 polls which will be held on October 28 - also included ex-Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, Sachin Pilot, Raj Babbar etc. 

Bihar Polls: RJD-ally Congress releases first list of 21 candidates for upcoming elections

Chaos in Congress after the first list of candidates was announced 

This comes right after the party is facing criticism from its own members for giving ticket to ‘tainted and incompetent’ leaders in its first list of candidates. Many leaders from Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC), including former state chief Chandna Bagchi and Anil Sharma staged a protest at Sadaquat Ashram, seeking action against AICC in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil, BPCC president Madan Mohan Jha and BPCC campaign committee chairman Akhilesh Prasad Singh for favouring incompetent leaders. 

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Seat-sharing formula 

Congress is contesting on 70 seats in Bihar as the party agreed to a seat-sharing deal of 144-70 with the RJD. Three other Communist parties are also part of Mahagathbandhan and are contesting on 29 seats. Tejashwi Yadav has been declared the its CM face. Bihar will vote in 3 phases - October 28, November 3, and November 7, with the results being declared on November 10.

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