Patna: The Mahagathbandhan’s efforts to project unity ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections appeared to suffer a setback on Thursday after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) highlighted a conspicuous omission in the alliance’s campaign material. Posters promoting the opposition bloc’s press conference in Patna—where Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav is expected to be named the alliance’s chief ministerial face—did not feature the photograph of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to X (formerly Twitter) to mock the apparent snub, posting:
“Joint PC? But only one picture. Rahul Gandhi & Congress ka ‘samman chori’! Showed Congress & Rahul his place?"
His remarks were a jibe at Gandhi’s earlier “vote chori” campaign, in which the Congress leader accused the Election Commission of colluding with the ruling BJP to manipulate voter rolls.
Another BJP leader, Gaurav Bhatia, compared Tejashwi Yadav to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, questioning his “insecurity,” which, he claimed, led to the exclusion not only of Rahul Gandhi but also of Lalu Prasad Yadav from the poster.
Alliance in Damage Control Mode
The controversy erupted even as the opposition alliance appeared poised to formally announce Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate, following prolonged stalemates over seat-sharing arrangements.
According to sources, a flurry of meetings took place on Wednesday, with senior Congress leaders—including election observer Ashok Gehlot and Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru—holding discussions with Tejashwi and Lalu Prasad Yadav in an attempt to resolve the impasse and present a united front.
As reported by CNN-News18, the Congress leadership was urged during the meeting to withdraw candidates from constituencies where both the Congress and RJD had fielded nominees and to formally endorse Tejashwi Yadav as the alliance’s face for the top post.
The Congress, however, dismissed speculation of internal friction. Gehlot told reporters that the Mahagathbandhan “remains united and will contest the elections as a strong, cohesive force.” Tejashwi Yadav, too, sought to play down reports of discord, stating that “the press conference will put all doubts to rest.”
RJD Releases Candidate List
Earlier this week, the RJD announced its list of 143 candidates for the upcoming polls, including 24 women. However, overlaps remain in several constituencies where both RJD and Congress have announced candidates. Alliance leaders indicated that adjustments and withdrawals are expected in the coming days to avoid multi-cornered contests.
The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled to take place in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results slated for November 14.
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