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Congress backs Nitish Kumar as CM candidate of 'secular alliance' in Bihar

Congress on Monday backed Nitish Kumar as the chief ministerial face of a secular alliance in Bihar Assembly polls, but said the fate of the grouping depend upon a tie-up between JD-U and RJD.

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Congress on Monday backed Nitish Kumar as the chief ministerial face of a secular alliance in Bihar Assembly polls, but said the fate of the grouping depend upon a tie-up between JD-U and RJD.

AICC General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed, who is a senior party leader from Bihar, agreed with PCC chief Ashok Chaudhary's view that Nitish is a "good" chief minister. "Nitish Kumar is a good chief minister. Politically, we have supported him thrice," Ahmed told PTI adding "if he gets a chance for the fourth time, he will prove to be a good chief minister."

He recalled that Congress had supported Nitish when he parted ways with BJP. It also backed his move to make Jitan Ram Manjhi the chief minister and later again supported Nitish when he took Manjhi's place.
He, however, hastened to add that as far as the agreement on Assembly elections is concerned, it depends on the RJD and the JD-U deciding to form an alliance.

"Congress wants a honourable alliance with sufficient number of seats. We will wait for the outcome of the RJD-JD-U talks. Then Congress will take a final call," said Ahmed, who was once a minister in the erstwhile RJD-led government and was also PCC chief earlier. At the AICC briefing, party spokesman Rajeev Gowda said the Congress is in discussions with "multiple political parties to form a united alliance of secular parties against the BJP", adding "I don't think any political party is going to be bypassed."

"During pre-poll negotiations, various postures are taken," Gowda merely said to a volley of questions on the issue when asked whether the PCC chief was 'acting independently' by making such statements. The PCC chief had held talks with Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi two days ago. Chaudhary has gone on record saying that though there is a good possibility of the RJD, the JD(U) and the Congress entering into an alliance, "We are clear on choosing the development face, Nitish, if talks between him and Lalu over seat sharing fail". 

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