Sonia, Rahul to campaign for Bihar polls again

PATNA - Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son, party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, will campaign in Bihar for the third and fourth phases of the assembly polls, party leaders said Saturday.

Rahul Gandhi will campaign for the third time in Bihar Oct 25 ahead of the third phase of assembly elections Oct 28. He is slated to address rallies in the Ramnagar, Kuchaikot and Manjhi assembly constituencies.

Sonia Gandhi will campaign Oct 28 ahead of the fourth phase Nov 1. She will address rallies in Bhagalpur.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to visit either by the end of October or first week of November ahead of the fourth or fifth stages of the elections.

Congress state spokesperson Prem Chand Mishra told IANS that while Rahul and Sonia Gandhi’s trips have been finalised, Manmohan Singh’s visit is yet to be firmed up.

Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi have earlier toured Bihar, launching scathing attacks on the Nitish Kumar government. Rahul had addressed an election rally Oct 14 in Katihar and another in Supaul district.

He later addressed three rallies Oct 21 in Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur and Samastipur

districts.

The Congress is contesting from all 243 seats in the state and is making all efforts to gain lost ground this time.

With these polls, the Congress is hopeful of making a dent in the support base of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad.

Elections to the 243-seat assembly is under way in six phases from Oct 21 to Nov 20, with results being declared Nov 24.