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(ET illustration)

NEW DELHI: Wary of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad ’s strongarm tactics in seat sharing, the Congress is preparing the groundwork for an alternative strategy in Bihar assembly elections – either go it alone or strike an alliance with Janata Dal (United) .Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has asked the state unit to keep all options open in Bihar. Even though RJD , Janata Dal (United) and Congress have come together to form a rainbow alliance for Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress is sceptical about Lalu’s last-minute surprises in announcing seats.Sonia Gandhi's iftar outreach in peril; Lalu, Mamata opt outSources in the Congress told ET that Gandhi has instructed district presidents in Bihar to prepare a list of candidates for all 243 seats. The party has prepared three plans -- being informally called Plan A, B and C within party circles. While its first and most preferable option is Plan A to fight in alliance with RJD and JD-U, it has kept plans B and C as contingency plans.In case Lalu Prasadunilaterally announces candidates for seats being eyed by Congress, Plan B explores the possibility of an exclusive alliance with Nitish Kumar ’s JD-U. The third plan is to go it alone. The district president has already identified panels of three candidates in each constituency. On the insistence of Gandhi, one of the main considerations in recommending candidates is to overlook those who have recently joined Congress from other parties.A senior Congress functionary, who did not wish to be named, told ET, “We are ready for any eventuality. We have known Lalu ji to go back on his word at the last minute. So, if the actual seat sharing talks do not work out, we would have to be ready for all scenarios.”