Congress workers protest ticket distribution for Bihar polls, demand removal of state in-charge

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 23 (ANI): Congress workers on Thursday staged a protest in Patna over the distribution of tickets for the Bihar elections. They demanded the removal of the Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru. Congress worker Madhurenra Kumar Singh alleged that the tickets of some sitting MLAs were cut unfairly.
Madhurenra Kumar Singh said, "This protest isn't against the party. We're here to protest against the in-charge, Krishna Allavaru, and to remove him from office. The tickets of five or six sitting MLAs were cut. What was the reason? What was the criterion? Vijay Shankar Dubey, a five-time MLA, had his ticket cut because the Congress candidate from his constituency lost the Lok Sabha elections."
He asked on what basis tickets were given to those who lost by a bigger margin in the previous election.
"By the same standard, why wasn't Shakeel Ahmad Khan's ticket cut after he lost by 9,000 votes from the Kadwa Assembly constituency of Katihar? Munna Shahi, the candidate who lost by 113 votes in the previous election, also had his ticket cut. So, what was the basis of the survey on which tickets were given to those who lost by 35,000 votes but not to those who lost by 113 votes?" he further said.
The Congress has announced a total list of 61 candidates for the Bihar polls.
The Opposition Mahagathbandhan will release its joint manifesto for the Bihar Assembly elections on October 28 in Patna, sources in the alliance told ANI on Thursday.
Sources said that Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will also begin their campaign for the Bihar Assembly elections on October 28, after the Chhath Puja festival.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav will address joint rallies before the first Phase of voting and, after that, for the seats in the second Phase of voting, they added.
Earlier in the day, Mahagathbandhan declared Tejashwi Yadav as its Chief Ministerial candidate for the assembly elections, scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11.
"Everyone should be worried (about the situation in the country). This is why I can say that, after consulting Kharge ji, Rahul ji, and others sitting here, Tejashwi Yadav is the CM candidate for this election. He is a young person. He has a long future and the public will support him," Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said at a press conference in Patna.
Gehlot, named as Senior Election Observer by the AICC, said that people of Bihar want change as they struggle with multiple issues, including unemployment. He said that the way the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the centre was operating was a "threat to democracy."
Mahagathbandhan, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal, includes Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).
Additionally, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj has also staked claims on all 243 seats of the state. The assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The results will be declared on November 14. (ANI)