PATNA, Sept. 22 -- The Congress party is intensifying its focus on Bihar, hosting its extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Patna on September 24, the first in nearly 50 years, at the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) headquarters, Sadaqat Ashram. This historic event signals Bihar's rising electoral importance for Congress as it prepares for the upcoming state assembly elections. Buoyed by Rahul Gandhi's 16-day Voter Adhikar Yatra, which spanned 1,300 kilometers across 25 of Bihar's 38 districts and drew massive crowds, the party's leaders and workers are energized, pushing for a larger share of seats within the INDIA bloc. Senior Congress leaders, including BPCC chief Rajesh Ram and led by AICC in-charge Krishna Allavaru held a meeting in Patna on Sunday to review preparations for the CWC meeting and strategise to strengthen the party's bargaining power in coalition talks. The extended CWC meeting, to be attended by top leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, aims to underscore Congress's commitment to Bihar's voters. "The CWC meet is a historic moment to signal our resolve," said senior leader Kishore Kumar Jha. A follow-up rally by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on September 26 in Motihari will sustain the yatra's momentum. On the chief ministerial face for the INDIA bloc, Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said, "Seat-sharing will be finalized swiftly post-CWC. All parties are aligned and Tejashwi Yadav is the biggest face for CM. Our priority is defeating the BJP and Nitish Kumar's NDA." Rajesh Ram added, "No final decision on the CM face has been made, but our focus is ousting the NDA." This reflects Congress's intent to maintain coalition unity while leveraging its revitalized cadre, energized by the yatra's focus on issues like caste census and reservations. Congress's recent screening committee meeting in New Delhi to finalize seats and candidates signals its ambition to expand beyond the 19 seats it won in 2020, having contested 70. The party is reportedly seeking 60-70 seats, citing its reinvigorated grassroots and the Gandhi family's appeal, while the RJD, with 79 MLAs, aims for around 140 seats. Despite these tensions, Congress emphasizes alliance cohesion. "Our goal is a collective victory," Jha noted. The BJP, led by state deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary, has mocked the opposition's "faceless campaign," and exuded confidence that the NDA would regain power with Nitish Kumar leading the pack. Political analyst Rama Shankar Arya, however cautioned that delays in finalizing leadership or seats could favour the NDA. However, RJD spokesman Mrityunjay Tiwari said that the CM face issue would be shorted out soon. "Tejashwi Yadav's yatra is gaining mammoth traction. His public appeal together with Congress's strategic push would catapult INDIA bloc to power in Bihar," added Tiwari....