Congress Working Committee Meets in Patna, Bihar for First Time Since Independence

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) convened in Patna, Bihar on Wednesday, marking the first such meeting in the state since India’s independence. The meeting, held at the Sadaqat Ashram, the headquarters of the Pradesh Congress Committee, brought together top party leaders to deliberate on upcoming assembly elections and strategize on how to address issues such as alleged vote theft. Key figures attending included party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, along with other prominent leaders like K.C. Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh. Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states, presidents of state party units, and leaders of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) also participated. Notably, Priyanka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were not present. The meeting’s agenda included discussions led by Rahul Gandhi, followed by discussions with leaders of the INDIA opposition alliance to resolve disputes related to the Chief Ministerial face and seat-sharing arrangements. A meeting was planned at Hotel Chanakya for this purpose. Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav might also hold a joint press conference. This CWC meeting is a historic event, occurring 85 years after previous meetings in 1912, 1922, and 1940. Mallikarjun Kharge arrived in Patna on Tuesday to participate in the meeting, accompanied by Congress General Secretary K. C. Venugopal. Congress leaders emphasized the significance of the meeting, with Pawan Khera stating that the decisions made would be historic, and Rajesh Kumar Ram, the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee President, highlighting its importance as the first such gathering in Bihar since independence. K.C. Venugopal, in a social media post, stated the meeting was to demonstrate the party’s commitment to the welfare of the people of Bihar, especially at a time when the state faces a choice between hope, social justice, development, and the forces of hatred, violence, unemployment and the destruction of the constitution.