Congress has stated that it will contest the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections under the banner of the Grand Alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal, but recent developments cast doubt on this claim—especially Tejashwi Yadav's latest election boycott warning.
Although Tejashwi Yadav did not confirm the boycott decision, statements from the Congress camp do not indicate agreement.
A memorable incident of harmony between Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav was when Kanhaiya Kumar and Pappu Yadav were stopped from boarding the vehicle heading to the Election Commission office.
The reservations of the Lalu family regarding Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar are well-known, with Lalu Yadav consistently opposed to these leaders joining forces with Congress.
Pappu Yadav has gone as far as expressing a threat to his life should Tejashwi Yadav become Chief Minister, an absurd notion reminiscent of the often contradictory nature of political relationships.
Despite outward animosities, personal interactions often reveal surprising camaraderie, as seen recently between Akhilesh Yadav and Giriraj Singh.
A viral video of Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar was from an SIR protest march during Rahul Gandhi's visit to Patna in support of Tejashwi Yadav.
Since the last Lok Sabha election, this was the second instance when Rahul Gandhi visited Bihar during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, seen sharing the front seat of a vehicle with Tejashwi Yadav, who was driving.
Tejashwi Yadav never instructed a boycott over the voter list issue but suggested decision-making through collective consent with alliance partners. Still, Congress leaders seem to have already distanced themselves.
Speaking to reporters, Congress’s Bihar In-charge Krishna Allavaru mentioned that all INDIA Bloc allies will consider and decide on the election boycott—indicating their options remain open.
Comments from Congress leaders suggest a lack of genuine solidarity, hence the emphasis on keeping options open. Sources reveal that Tejashwi Yadav’s boycott statement aimed to pressure the Election Commission and should not be misinterpreted.
Asked whether this tactic would confuse voters, Krishna Allavaru asserted it clarified that the mandate was being stolen, indicating Congress aims to sustain Rahul Gandhi's narrative of electoral manipulation.
NDA's Chirag Paswan reacted, challenging them to boycott elections, doubting they possess the fortitude to follow through.
While Tejashwi Yadav raises voter list discrepancies in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi focuses on alleged election fraud in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
In Bihar, Krishna Allavaru echoes similar sentiments to those articulated by Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.
Raising a contentious issue, Rahul Gandhi labeled the Bihar caste census as fraudulent, initially pressuring Tejashwi Yadav and Nitish Kumar for its implementation.
During a Bihar visit, he promised a genuine caste census under his government, though the central government's integrated national and caste census pledge nearly neutralized the contention.
Had Rahul Gandhi considered Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav’s preferences, neither Kanhaiya Kumar would have joined Congress, nor Pappu Yadav collaborated.
Lalu Yadav’s pressure prevented Pappu Yadav's Congress entry, although he remains counted among the allies as an Independent MP.
Be it appointing Dalit leader Rajesh Kumar as Bihar Congress Chief or Rahul Gandhi supporting Kanhaiya Kumar’s Bihar visit—all these actions appear contrary to Lalu and Tejashwi Yadav's inclinations.
Congress’s actions might aim to secure a better seat deal with Lalu and Tejashwi Yadav, but the question lingers—why hasn’t Tejashwi Yadav been endorsed as the Grand Alliance leader yet?
Every partner in the alliance publicly recognizes Tejashwi Yadav’s leadership, so what deters Congress from formally endorsing him?
As electoral battles emerge, these underlying tensions will undoubtedly shape the future political landscape.
