Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said if a secular government came to power in Bihar, her party would exert "moral pressure" on it to tackle these on a priority basis.

"There are many serious problems facing Bihar which cause sadness and concern. We want the backwardness, unemployment and poverty to end and law and order to improve," she said.

She was addressing election rallies at Patna and Siwan for the third and final phase of assembly election.

"Incidents that have taken place in recent days should not have occurred in the land of Buddha and Mahavira," she said.

Sonia said security and development of the weaker sections, minorities and women topped her party's agenda.

These remarks were an apparent reflection of the Congress' present relations with its United Progressive Alliance ally and Bihar's ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal. The Congress has pitted a large number of candidates against the RJD.