As Bihar gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections later this year, the Congress is reportedly set to contest fewer seats compared to 2020 in order to accommodate its alliance partners. According to India Today sources, the party may restrict itself to 60-62 seats, down from 70 last time.

The adjustment comes amid efforts to keep the opposition Mahagathbandhan united, which includes Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), Left parties, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and the Lok Janshakti Party (Pashupati Paras faction).

A Bihar Congress MP confirmed the realignment move, telling India Today TV: “This time we will focus on the quality of seats rather than the quantity while finalising the agreement.”

Meanwhile, senior party leaders revealed that the Congress has received over 3,000 applications from aspirants across more than 90 seats, showing high interest despite the likely reduction in the final tally.

However, internal debates are heating up. A section of Congress leaders is pushing to drop underperforming sitting MLAs, citing poor survey reports. But others caution that such a step could trigger rebel candidates across constituencies, weakening the party’s prospects.