Patna: Until the middle of last month, it was RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav who appeared to be dictating terms to his INDIA bloc allies, holding frequent conferences at his official residence and announcing his strategies. But since Aug 17, when leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched the Voter Adhikar Yatra, it is the Congress that seems to be steering the narrative.The fortnight-long yatra passed through 25 of Bihar’s 38 districts and drew impressive crowds, particularly in rural areas. According to informed sources, Congress sensed a surge of public support during the march and is now keen to test its political impact.
That public response has created a new dynamic for Tejashwi, who was appointed chairman of the INDIA bloc’s coordination committee for the Bihar assembly polls at a meeting in Patna on April 17. Despite the role, he still awaits formal projection as the opposition’s chief ministerial face. “Tejashwiji ke haath me hi chunav abhiyan toh phir bach kya jata hai (If Tejashwi is shouldered with the responsibility to launch the election campaign, then what’s left)?” said a senior state Congress leader, requesting anonymity.
While allies such as the Left parties and the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) have openly endorsed him as CM face, Congress has carefully avoided making a similar commitment. Rahul, who led the yatra supported by all INDIA bloc partners, party media in-charge Pawan Khera, and Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru have all sidestepped the question in press briefings. This studied silence has begun to irritate the RJD, prompting its leaders to assert Tejashwi’s claim on their own.
During a media interaction in Araria last month, Rahul deftly evaded the CM question, instead highlighting the unity among opposition parties on the “vote theft” campaign. Later, Allavaru said, “The people of Bihar will choose their leader,” while Khera too avoided a direct answer, adding only that “they (RJD and Congress) enjoy a different kind of relationship.”
The RJD’s annoyance is increasingly evident. On Tuesday, the party’s chief spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav declared, “Tejashwiji happens to be the coordination committee chairman, he is the opposition’s CM face and will become the CM after assembly polls. There is no doubt about it.” He reminded that Tejashwi was the opposition’s CM face in 2020 as well and came close to forming a govt.
Congress insiders, however, claim Tejashwi himself agreed at the INDIA bloc’s first meeting, when the coordination committee was set up, that the decision on the opposition’s face would be taken jointly by all allies at the appropriate time.
Downplaying talk of friction, state Congress media in-charge Rajesh Rathore said, “The issue of who will be the CM is not to be decided by one party. It will be decided when all the alliance members sit together.” He added that the yatra had boosted Congress morale, saying, “The masses came to the streets in large numbers and reacted to our slogans. We benefited a lot from the yatra.”
The BJP, meanwhile, has seized on the discord. Party spokesperson Prem Ranjan Patel said, “Tejashwi projected Rahul as the PM face, but the latter didn’t reciprocate in a similar fashion and declare him as the CM face. That means Rahul has no trust in his friend.” JD(U) also mocked the situation. “Matlab gathbandhan me gaanth hai,” said JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.
Courtesy : TOI
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