As Tejashwi Yadav questions the BJP about not declaring Nitish Kumar as the Chief Ministerial candidate, the BJP also asks why Rahul Gandhi's image disappeared from the Mahagathbandhan press conference poster. Was there a specific strategy behind Congress's decision? This missing image is sparking fresh debates in Bihar's political scene. What was the reason for Rahul Gandhi's absence from the poster? According to Congress insiders, it's part of a strategy. So, what exactly was this strategy?
Let's explore Congress's strategy behind Rahul Gandhi's absence.
Distancing from Bihar:
Sources suggest that Rahul Gandhi intentionally maintained a distance from Bihar. Since the Voter Rights rally, he hasn't revisited Bihar. Firstly, he was on an international tour, and after returning to India, he skipped Patna. The leadership wanted to strongly negotiate with RJD over the distribution of tickets. The issue never reached Rahul Gandhi, and Bihar in-charge and organizational general secretary Venugopal were left to manage Tejashwi Yadav. This way, there would be no rift between the Lalu family and Rahul Gandhi.
Lack of Enthusiasm for Announcements:
A significant section of the Congress party believes that declaring Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial candidate would provide the NDA with a strong opportunity to attack the Mahagathbandhan, driving the elections towards caste polarization. Congress, hence, delayed this matter as much as possible.
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Rahul Gandhi Not on the Poster:
A Congress leader believes that Tejashwi Yadav was more concerned about his declaration as the CM face rather than becoming the CM. The elections could have been contested staying neutral, but RJD wasn't willing to listen. This helped in swaying the extremely backward castes. Signals were given to RJD, but the party remained adamant about Tejashwi's face. Therefore, as per strategy, Rahul Gandhi didn't arrive in Patna for this announcement, while experienced leaders like Ashok Gehlot took on the task to avoid sending any wrong signals.
This is why Tejashwi's face featured prominently on the poster, and Rahul was absent. Congress Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru had already briefed the party's top leadership on the implications of the Tejashwi announcement.
Also read: Mahagathbandhan in Bihar elections stakes claim on 42% vote bank... Laddus for Sahni, pumpkins for Muslim brothers?
Complicated Deputy Chief Minister Announcement:
Congress was also not happy with Tejashwi Yadav's promise to make Mukesh Sahni, the chief of the VIP party, deputy chief minister. The party's top leadership made it clear in a meeting with Bihar Congress leaders that no deputy CM announcement would be made until after the results. However, Tejashwi was adamant about this as well.
Deadlock on Several Seats:
Congress made every effort to bargain with RJD for strong seats, delaying Tejashwi's announcement until the last over. According to a Congress leader, Tejashwi was partly responsible for this due to his stubborn stance on seat matters.
Monitoring from Delhi:
Sources claim that Rahul Gandhi was closely monitoring the whole issue from Delhi. Despite maintaining a distance from Bihar, he was receiving updates on every seat from Delhi.
Organizational General Secretary KC Venugopal, adhering to Rahul Gandhi's directives, continued to negotiate seat arrangements till the end. There was suspicion among Congress about RJD having internal agreements with other allies regarding seats like Kahalgaon, Narkatiaganj, Vaishali, and Begusarai. Thus, Congress did not withdraw its stance, and for several first-phase seats, Congress was up against RJD or Left candidates, all under Rahul Gandhi's consent. Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru was directly in contact with Rahul Gandhi.
Election Campaign Preparations:
According to the strategy, Rahul Gandhi and other prominent campaigners will begin their election storm right after the Chhath festival ends. Rahul Gandhi has clearly instructed the Bihar leadership that while staying in the Mahagathbandhan, leaders should focus on improving Congress's performance and strike rate, putting all their strength behind this goal.
