New Delhi : As the campaign fever rises in Bihar, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul would be addressing a clutch of nearly 13 public meetings during the course of the month.
According to party sources, the number of rallies could also be increased depending on the flow of the campaign events. In all, Sonia would be addressing four rallies, and Rahul would be addressing nine events out of which two in the crucial Seemanchal region of the state where Asaduddin Owaisi”s MIM has entered as a spoiler to damage the chances of the secular grand alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress. Though a lot of lip service is being given to the issue of development from both the sides, the main contest would turn into a battle of castes, as per the traditional politics of the region.
Rahul would be holding public meetings on October 7th, 26th and 30th. He is scheduled to address three rallies per day. On October 7th, he would be in Begusarai, Sheikhpura and Kaimur near Sasaram followed by West Champaran, East Champaran and Sitamarhi on October 26 and Kishanganj and Katihar in Seemanchal region on October 30th.
Voting will take place in Kishanganj and Katihar in the last phase on November 5, when the maximum of 57 Assembly constituencies go to the polls on a single day in the five phased poll. Both the districts have large Muslim population which is expected to play a decisive role in the poll outcome. This is the chunk that has always voted against the BJP, but this time the presence of MIM and the Samajwadi Party-led third front of six parties that includes Pappu Yadav”s Jan Adhikar Party-Loktantrik (JAP-L), Samras Samaj Party (SSP), Nationalists Peoples Party (NPP) and Samajwadi Janata Party (SJP). . third front has named the NCP”s Katihar MP Tariq Anwar, Katihar MP, as chief ministerial candidate and this would have a pro-BJP impact.
