Rahul Gandhi , Mallikarjun Kharge to attend Congress Working Committee meeting in Patna on September 24

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Rahul Gandhi will be present at its working committee meeting here on September 24, AICC Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru said on Monday.

During a press conference here, Allavaru asserted that Congress was fighting "the second war of Independence" in Bihar, a reason why the meeting has been scheduled in the state.

"At the CWC meeting, we will be having AICC president Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. All other CWC members have also been invited. Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states are also expected," he said.


The Congress leader alleged that the ruling BJP at the Centre was involved in "vote theft", and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "like a student who does not study hard, but takes recourse to unfair means for doing well in examinations".

Asserting that Bihar, where Gandhi recently took out an over 1,300-km 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', had become "the centre of national politics", Allavaru said, "We are fighting the second war of Independence in the state, a reason why the CWC meeting is being held here."

In reply to another query, he said, "Talks on seat-sharing are being held on a positive note in the INDIA bloc, and we will soon come out with a viable formula. On the other hand, we find the BJP-led NDA in disarray."

Asked whether RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav will be named as the chief ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc with a stamp of approval from the Congress, Allavaru said "at an appropriate time, all alliance partners will sit together and decide".

Assembly polls are due in Bihar later this year.