Patna, March 17 (NationPress) The president of the Bihar Congress, Rajesh Ram, firmly refuted claims on Tuesday that he instructed party MLAs to refrain from participating in the Rajya Sabha elections held the previous day, labeling the accusations as “utterly unfounded”.

This assertion came after Congress MLA from Forbesganj, Manoj Vishwas, claimed his absence from the voting was due to Rajesh Ram's directives. In response, Ram issued a vigorous denial, calling the allegation completely baseless.

Rajesh Ram emphasized his loyalty to the party, stating, “I want to be unequivocal: I am one of the most devoted members of the Congress. While positions may shift, a person’s integrity is hard-earned. I categorically reject these claims.”

He elaborated that he had made numerous attempts to reach out to the MLAs prior to the voting. “I maintained consistent communication with them. I called several times, even visited their homes, and asked them to meet with me. Yet, I was unable to connect with anyone. Despite my constant outreach, they did not respond to my calls or messages. Now, these allegations arise,” he conveyed to IANS.

Reiterating his dedication to the Congress, Rajesh Ram remarked, “We are committed members of the Congress party, having built our positions through hard work at the grassroots level. I would never betray the party while holding this role.”

He also recounted a previous occasion when he was approached with political incentives, stating, “In the past, Ashok Chaudhary attempted to entice us with offers of MLC positions, ministerial roles, and even housing. We rejected those outright and chose to stay loyal to the party,” he clarified.

This controversy has heightened existing tensions within the Bihar Congress, particularly following the opposition alliance's disappointing outcome in the Rajya Sabha elections.

Earlier, Congress MLA Manoj Vishwas, who abstained from voting, remarked that his absence aligned with the guidance of Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram.

Vishwas, representing Forbesganj in the Araria district, informed IANS that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had nominated Amrendra Dhari Singh, a Bhumihar community candidate, without consulting the Congress leadership in Bihar.

“The RJD did not consult our state president, Rajesh Ram. Therefore, he permitted us to decide individually whether to vote. Consequently, I opted not to participate in the Rajya Sabha election,” Vishwas stated.

He further mentioned that numerous Congress legislators represent Dalit, OBC, and minority communities. “If our leadership does not receive the respect it deserves, how can we support the nominated candidate?” he queried, reiterating his allegiance to the Congress party.

The Mahagathbandhan candidate, A.D. Singh, belongs to the Bhumihar community, and his campaign was spearheaded by senior Congress leader Akhilesh Singh, also from the same caste group.

MLAs who abstained indicated that caste dynamics and a lack of collaboration within the alliance played a significant role in their decision.

Alongside Manoj Vishwas, Congress MLAs Surendra Kushwaha and Manohar Prasad Singh also chose not to vote, along with RJD MLA Faisal Rahman.

Surendra Kushwaha expressed dissatisfaction with the candidate selection, suggesting that RJD leader Deepak Yadav should have been nominated instead.

Manohar Prasad Singh criticized the alliance for not nominating a candidate from the Dalit, minority, or OBC communities. He deemed his abstention a form of protest against this decision but affirmed his continued loyalty to the Congress.