Patna, Jan. 9: The state Congress is gearing up for 2014 parliamentary elections.

Bihar Congress president Choudhary Mehboob Ali Quaiser today told this while addressing a press meet at the SCADA business centre.

Quaiser said: “We accept the defeat in the Assembly elections with humility and congratulate the NDA for the formation of government for the second time.”

He said: “However, this does not mean that the Congress has lost all hopes. We will keep fighting and our party is gearing up for the 2014 parliamentary elections. The party workers and leaders of the state are confident and upbeat about the next step.”

The Congress has constituted a flagship monitoring committee comprising 14 members, with former legislator Vijay Shankar Mishra as its chairman, to strengthen the party under the leadership of UPA president Sonia Gandhi. Quaiser said: “The party has also formed a disciplinary committee with Chandan Bagchi as its president.”

The state Congress will hold a review meeting of all blocks and district units from January 16 to January 21. In this meeting, the emphasis will be on the progress of schemes and programmes started by the central government, said Quaiser.

He said a showcause notice has been issued to the chief spokesman of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee Prem Chandra Mishra, for going against the party whip.

He added: “The panchayat election shall be held on party basis and to strengthen the party we will form committees at panchayat level in next three months. The party will organise workshop and training in all 40 Lok Sabha constituencies and 243 Assembly seats.”