PATNA: The Congress released the party’s first list of 48 candidates late on Thursday night—a day before the deadline for filing nominations for the first phase of Bihar elections—even as INDIA bloc is yet to announce its seat-sharing formula.

Five women and two Muslim candidates figure in the Congress list of candidates.

The deadlock over seat-sharing among INDIA bloc partners may have been broken after senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad over phone on Thursday. However, the final seat-sharing deal is not known.

According to sources, the demand for higher seat allocation by influential regional parties including Mukesh Sahani-led Vikassheel Insaan Party and the pushback by the others was one of the reasons for

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