As the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections approach, Congress has announced its decision to contest the elections in partnership with Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). This announcement, made Tuesday, put an end to all speculations about Congress contesting the elections independently in Bihar. However, there was a phase when the relationship between Congress and RJD hit a rocky patch.
Congress Leadership Seals the Deal
In a crucial meeting on Tuesday evening, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, met with Bihar's leaders and confirmed that the alliance with RJD will continue. They indicated clearly that comments from other leaders would be disregarded. Statements from leaders such as Pawan Khera, suggesting that the party should either function as it did pre-1990s or contest alone, had previously soured relations.
It’s noteworthy that Congress and RJD formed an alliance in 1997. Pratima Das, Bihar Congress MLA, suggested that Congress should contest all 243 seats independently. Similarly, senior Bihar Congress leader Kishore Kumar Jha opined that the party should either contest 100 seats in the alliance or go solo.
Protests and Pressure Played a Role
Such statements did not impress RJD at all, prompting them to express their displeasure directly to a senior Congress leader. They were handed the newspaper articles containing Congress leaders' remarks about the alliance. In a bid to manifest their dissatisfaction, RJD utilized Abdul Bari Siddiqui's Iftar party on Monday.
This event saw no invitations or calls extended to senior Congress leaders, a clear deployment of pressure strategy. As a result, major Congress leaders abstained from attending, with only a single Congress MLA present at the RJD's Iftar party. During Tuesday's meeting, many Congress members advocated for the establishment of all pending committees within 15 days, bolstering the organization in Bihar, and promoting a 'respectable alliance' with RJD.
What Role Will Pappu Yadav Play?
There is a strong opinion that Congress's decision to maintain its alliance with RJD provides substantial relief to the Left parties. Similarly, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election as an independent candidate, is seeking clarity regarding his role in the pivotal assembly elections ahead. Pappu Yadav has been campaigning extensively for Congress in Jharkhand and other states.
The talks of forming an alliance started back in
2023
, with both parties trying to settle differences.
Earlier in
2023
, tensions escalated due to conflicting statements in the media.
