Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav were always seen together during the Mahagathbandhan's Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar. Congress gave the message of taking along the rest of the alliance parties as well. Political analysts believe that Congress seems to be gaining an edge in Bihar at the moment.
New Delhi: India Alliance’s 16-day Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar ended in Patna on September 1. The Yatra, led by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, passed through 25 districts of Bihar. During this, the Yatra covered a distance of 1300 km with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahni. At the end of the Yatra, Rahul Gandhi addressed the public meeting from the stage in Patna, saying ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’. When the crowd repeated this slogan loudly, Rahul Gandhi said – ‘This slogan worked.’
The yatra passed through more than 100 assembly constituencies
The yatra, which passed through more than 100 of the 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar, has strengthened the position of the RJD-led opposition alliance ahead of the Bihar elections in November this year. The question is whether the unity of the Mahagathbandhan seen during this yatra will be able to maintain its momentum? On this question, Tejashwi Yadav says that there is no need to worry about it, we are working on it. But one question is still being asked that what was the achievement of this yatra?
1990…when Congress became politically extinct
Before knowing the answer to this question, let us go back. Congress became politically extinct in Bihar in 1990, and Lalu Prasad Yadav came to power. In the 2000 assembly elections, Congress got only 23 seats. Later, the party joined the alliance with Lalu-led RJD. The country’s oldest party performed better in the 2015 elections when JDU supremo and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joined the grand alliance. At that time, Congress won 27 seats.
Congress’s weak performance responsible for the defeat of the grand alliance?
However, in the 2020 elections, when Nitish returned to the NDA, the Congress contested 70 seats and won only 19 seats, while its ally RJD emerged as the largest party with 75 seats. The NDA returned to power by winning 125 seats, while the grand alliance got 110 seats. The weak performance of the Congress was blamed for this minor defeat of the grand alliance.
Congress gained lead in Muslim areas
Senior journalist of Indian Express Santosh Singh says on this visit of Rahul Gandhi, Congress also gained lead in many Muslim-dominated constituencies including RJD strongholds like Darbhanga, Madhubani and Araria. The decline of the Congress in the state began after its alleged failures in handling the 1989 Bhagalpur riots, which led to a large section of Muslim voters moving to the Janata Dal and later to the RJD. After becoming the chief minister for his first term in 1990, Lalu became a prominent leader of the minority community in the state.
Santosh Singh says that before Rahul Gandhi started his Voter Rights Yatra, the Congress was called the ‘weak link’ of the Mahagathbandhan. But, with the huge crowds gathering in this yatra across the state, the Congress got an edge as it was mainly a demonstration of the party under Rahul’s leadership.
How much does RJD need the support of the Congress?
With outgoing chief minister Nitish Kumar battling health issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to lead the NDA’s election campaign in the Bihar elections. In such a situation, the RJD will be more dependent on Rahul to counter PM Modi’s campaign at the national level.
Rahul gave a message of taking everyone along
Throughout his yatra, Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by Tejashwi, the leader of opposition in the Bihar assembly, which brought him into the national spotlight, while also cementing his position as the chief ministerial face of the Mahagathbandhan for the elections, albeit unofficially. Though Rahul evaded a reporter’s question about Tejashwi’s chief ministerial candidature in Araria during the yatra, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, who joined the yatra in Ara on August 30, called for ‘supporting Tejashwi’ to build a new Bihar.
Subsequently, Tejashwi also projected himself as the opposition alliance’s chief ministerial candidate in the Ara and Patna legs of the yatra and asked the crowd whether they wanted a real or fake chief minister. He targeted Nitish, saying he was allegedly ‘copying’ his various proposed welfare schemes like enhanced social security pension, free electricity and youth commission.
Mahagathbandhan unity visible?
Rahul made the trip to raise his allegations of “vote theft” in various elections against the ruling BJP and the Election Commission (EC) and to protest the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter list in Bihar. The SIR slogan united the entire opposition party India, which was seen throughout the trip as several faces from the alliance joined in from time to time, from DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to Akhilesh and JMM chief and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, TMC’s Yusuf Pathan and Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut.
Pappu Yadav also joined, impact on 15 seats
In view of the yatra, the Mahagathbandhan has now been joined by Independent MP from Purnia, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who had bad relations with RJD despite being associated with Congress. Pappu Yadav has influence on about 15 seats including Supaul, Madhepura, Saharsa, Araria and Purnia in Kosi-Seemanchal region. Pappu had merged his Jan Adhikar Party with Congress ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but had to contest as a rebel from Purnia after the party refused to give him a ticket under pressure from RJD. Despite this, he managed to win the seat by defeating JDU MP Santosh Kushwaha along with RJD candidate Bikram Singh.
Edited by: Varun Shailesh
About the author
Varun Shailesh is an Assistant News Editor at Navbharat Times Online. He has more than 15 years of experience in current affairs, politics, social issues and features. Started career with news agency IANS in 2009. Worked at the central desk of Hindustan (Hindustan Times Group) for more than 5 years.
Courtesy : Hindi News