Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee asks Bihar-bound passengers to vote for 'grand alliance'

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Sunday requested passengers of a Patna-bound train at Secunderabad railway station here to vote in favour of 'Maha Gatbandhan' (grand alliance) in Bihar elections. However, the party workers were arrested for campaigning at the station without having the permission for it.

APCC president Raghuveera Reddy and scores of party leaders entered the compartments of the express train heading to Patna on platform no 1 of the station this morning and requested the passengers to vote for the grand alliance in the eastern state.

The Congress leaders explained them in detail about how the BJP "cheated" the residuary part of Andhra Pradesh by "not fulfilling" the promises of granting special status, giving funds for backward regions of Rayalaseema and north coastal Andhra, financing the building of the new capital and bridging the huge revenue deficit the state has inherited post-bifurcation, a party statement said.

"All of them were arrested by the railway police on the grounds that the party had not taken any permission for campaigning in the railway station," it added.

Congress, Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal United (JDU) are fighting together in the ongoing Bihar polls for the 243 Assembly seats.