Bihar elections: Maha cracks in the Mahagathbandhan

Unlike the BJP, which has gained strength from alliances, the Congress has not. In Bihar, it cannot hope to revive while it is under RJD’s thumb

- BHAVDEEP KANG

The tug-of-war between the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar was inevitable, given the asymmetric nature of their alliance. The new generation of political leaders are no longer happy with the status quo; RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav is attempting to expand beyond his Muslim-Yadav vote base, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi doesn't want to play second fiddle to the regional partner. Unfortunately for both, the cracks have appeared on the eve of elections.

The personal chemistry between Gandhi and Yadav does not mirror that of Sonia Gandhi and Lalu Yadav because there is a distinct element of rivalry between the two dynasts. But the basic issue is a conflict of interest. The RJD’s ticket distribution has made it clear that Yadav is eyeing not just the numerically superior OBCs, but the upper castes and Dalits—which comprise part of the traditional Congress vote base as well.

On the surface, this has played out in the form of petty wrangles. The Congress sought to project Gandhi, given his national stature, as the bigger leader, to which Yadav's supporters took offence. The delay in announcing Yadav as the mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial nominee did not go down well. Matters came to a head when the RJD refused to allocate the Congress more than 61 seats,

From Yadav's point of view, this was a practical move, given that the Congress’ poor hit rate in 2020 cost the mahagathbandhan the election. Besides, the Congress has a lot less to bring to the table than it did until 2014, It is no longer the ruling party or even a strong opposition and has consistently failed to take on the BJP one on one.