‘If Chirag Aligns With Our Ideology, No Objection’: Ashok Gehlot On Expanding Bihar Alliance – Delhi News Daily

On seat sharing and campaign strategy, Gehlot said Congress will leave chief ministerial decisions to the party high command. (Pics: PTI)

Ashok Gehlot, Congress’s senior observer for Bihar, said on Friday that the party would be open to bringing Chirag Paswan into the Mahagathbandhan if he aligns with the alliance’s ideology, stressing that strengthening the anti-BJP front is the priority.

“If Chirag comes with our ideology, we have no objection,” Gehlot said in an exclusive comment, adding that the alliance should be willing to make “sacrifices” to include partners who boost its prospects.

Gehlot flagged wider political issues in the state, echoing concerns raised by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav about Nitish Kumar’s health and suggesting the BJP is exploiting the situation.

“The nation feels the same concern that Tejashwi Yadav has. The perception is that the BJP is misusing Nitish Kumar. BJP is exploiting Nitish, and after the elections, they will make him disappear,” he said, while also cautioning that political fortunes can change quickly: “Nitish is the CM now, but who knows what happens tomorrow? In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies.”

On seat sharing and campaign strategy, Gehlot said Congress will leave chief ministerial decisions to the party high command and focus on contesting winnable seats. “Congress always leaves the CM decision to the high command, that’s our party’s principle. Here, we are a junior partner, so please wait a little. We’ll focus on winnable and quality seats,” he said, adding that formal seat-sharing decisions are expected in the next few days.

Rejecting suggestions of a leadership vacuum, Gehlot highlighted the momentum behind the Mahagathbandhan and the role of joint campaigns. “Just like the Rahul-Akhilesh partnership in UP, a Rahul-Tejashwi partnership in Bihar will defeat the BJP here too. The Rahul-Tejashwi yatra has created a strong wave in favour of the Mahagathbandhan. The time has come to end 20 years of misrule in Bihar,” he said.

On policy pledges, Gehlot asked voters to await the Congress manifesto for concrete commitments, and declined to be drawn into headline promises by allies. Talking about Tejashwi’s job promise, Gehlot said, “Wait for our manifesto, we’ll announce our own commitments.”