The Congress Working Committee (CWC) held a meeting in Patna, Bihar on Wednesday, a historic event as it was the first time such a meeting had taken place in the state since India achieved independence. The meeting, hosted at the Sadaqat Ashram, the headquarters of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee, brought together prominent party leaders to address the upcoming assembly elections and formulate strategies to combat concerns such as allegations of vote theft. The meeting saw the participation of key figures like party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, alongside K.C. Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, and others. Also in attendance were Chief Ministers of Congress-led states, state party unit presidents, and leaders from the Congress Legislature Party (CLP). However, Priyanka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were not present. The meeting agenda included an address by Rahul Gandhi. Following the CWC meeting, Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to meet with leaders from the INDIA opposition alliance to resolve disputes related to the selection of a Chief Ministerial candidate and seat-sharing arrangements. A meeting was organized at Hotel Chanakya for these discussions. A joint press conference was also a possibility with Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. This CWC gathering was particularly noteworthy, occurring 85 years after prior meetings held in 1912, 1922, and 1940. Mallikarjun Kharge and K.C. Venugopal had already arrived in Patna on Tuesday in anticipation of the meeting. Congress officials underscored the significance of the meeting, with Pawan Khera stating that the decisions made would be of historic importance. Rajesh Kumar Ram, the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee President, highlighted the significance of the meeting as the first of its kind held in Bihar after independence. K.C. Venugopal, in a social media statement, explained that the meeting aimed to highlight the party’s commitment to the well-being of Bihar’s people, especially given the state’s current situation.
