In run-up to Bihar elections, Tejashwi-led RJD holds talks with Congress leadership

New Delhi: RJD leaders led by Tejashwi Yadav held talks with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi on Tuesday, formally demonstrating the resolve of Bihar's Opposition alliance to close ranks against the ruling JDU-BJP in the run-up to the year-end assembly elections. They have decided to start constituency-wise analysis for seat-sharing talks among allies with a meeting in Patna on Thursday.

People familiar with the matter said RJD and Congress leaders, along with those of ally Left parties and VIP, may declare an election coordination committee soon, perhaps at the meeting in Patna. Yadav and his colleagues, including Manoj Jha, drove down to Kharge's residence where Gandhi, KC Venugopal and some Congress members held talks with them, formally kick-starting the alliance talks for polls.

Yadav later told media persons, "We had a positive discussion. We will meet again on April 17 in Patna. We are fully prepared and we want to take Bihar forward. Even after 20 years of NDA government in the state, Bihar is the poorest state, with unemployment and migration on the rise. NDA won't form the government in Bihar this time."


He evaded questions on the chief ministerial face, saying these issues will be decided later. RJD leaders have been projecting Yadav, the Opposition leader in the state assembly, as their CM candidate and it would be just a matter of time before the alliance formally endorses him as its poll mascot, more so since RJD is the bulwark of the alliance, with Congress too following the former's Mandal politics themes.

On Nitish Kumar, the CM and the face of JDU-BJP alliance, Yadav said, "'Nitish ji has been hijacked. The BJP leaders are only saying they will fight the elections under him but they are not saying he would be their CM face."

Pashupati overtures
Rashtriya LJP chief Pashupati Kumar Paras, dumped by BJP after it preferred to ally with rival Chirag Paswan's party, is now seeking an admission into the RJD alliance and may meet Congress leaders soon.