Rahul is Preparing Congress's Political Ground in Bihar Beyond the Lalu Family

The time for assembly elections is drawing near. In a few months, a new government will be formed in Bihar. Alongside the NDA and the INDIA alliance, leaders like Prashant Kishor of Jan Suraaj Party and Owaisi are also eyeing their political future in the state. While the NDA has made it clear that Nitish Kumar will be their chief ministerial candidate, no name has been finalized yet by the INDIA alliance or within the constituent parties like the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

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RJD, however, is projecting Tejashwi Yadav as the face for the chief minister's post. This is happening despite the decades-old alliance between the Congress and the RJD, but now it seems both parties are not keen on continuing the partnership. As a result, the alliance currently appears to be at a very delicate juncture.

The friendship between Lalu Yadav and Sonia Gandhi had for years provided strength to the bond between the two parties. However, since Rahul Gandhi took over the reins of the Congress, this relationship has been under increasing strain. This strain is not only visible in political decisions but also in ideological clashes and the lack of trust between the leaderships.

The most significant aspect is that Rahul Gandhi wants to promote a Congress leader in Bihar parallel to Tejashwi. His efforts to bring forward Kanhaiya Kumar and support him from time to time clearly irk the RJD. Lalu Yadav fears that the Congress might attempt to encroach upon his Yadav vote bank, and this fear is also evident in Tejashwi Yadav’s demeanor. Tejashwi is trying to establish himself as the sole political alternative in Bihar, and the rise of leaders like Kanhaiya Kumar makes him uneasy. This discomfort is not only due to caste equations but also signals a shift in Congress's strategy, which now wants to be acceptable across all communities whether upper castes, Dalits, or Yadavs.