Ashok Gehlot Meets Lalu Prasad to Resolve INDIA Bloc Tensions Before Bihar Assembly Elections

Ashok Gehlot Meets Lalu Yadav Amid Bihar Seat-Sharing Turmoil

Patna:

Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot met with RJD president Lalu Prasad on Wednesday, reportedly tasked with resolving tensions within the INDIA bloc alliance in election-bound Bihar.

After the meeting, Gehlot emphasized that winning Bihar was "extremely important" for the opposition alliance, especially following their defeat in Maharashtra. However, he avoided directly answering whether Congress would support Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu Prasad's son, as the chief ministerial candidate.

"Why do you want me to make such an announcement?" the former Rajasthan Chief Minister responded when journalists pressed him about Congress' position on Yadav, who had recently urged voters to make Rahul Gandhi "the next prime minister."

Gehlot highlighted, "You have seen the chemistry between Rahul and Tejashwi during the Voter Adhikar Yatra two months ago when the two leaders traveled across the state. They will take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time."

Reports suggest that Congress' hesitancy to endorse Yadav, who has been campaigning for a "Tejashwi sarkar," has created friction with its larger regional ally.

In the 243-seat assembly, the RJD and Congress are contesting 143 and 61 seats respectively, but both parties face "friendly fights" in at least five constituencies.

Congress candidates are also competing against the CPI, another alliance partner, in three additional seats.

Though Gehlot initially told reporters at the airport that "a friendly fight in five or ten seats was no big deal," after meeting Prasad, he stated, "we hope things will be ironed out by the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers tomorrow."

However, five of these contested seats fall in the first phase of elections, for which the withdrawal deadline already passed on Monday.

Accompanied by Krishna Allavaru, the AICC Bihar in-charge (who some state party leaders blame for mismanaging the situation), Gehlot insisted that Congress remains serious about the assembly elections in Bihar, where it has ceased to be a major political force.

"It is extremely important for us to win the polls. More so after the alliance of which Congress was a part lost Maharashtra. The Bihar polls will set the tone for national politics. It is essential that the NDA, which has caused divisions in society and messed up the economy, gets a setback. The people of Bihar are wise enough to realize this," Gehlot stated.

When questioned about the absence of a joint press conference by the Mahagathbandhan (the alliance name used by Congress, RJD, and Left before the INDIA bloc formation) in the election-bound state, both Gehlot and Allavaru confirmed, "It will take place tomorrow."

Gehlot claimed that "the turmoil in the NDA is, in fact, greater than it is in our camp. But the media does not highlight that because of bias in favor of the ruling coalition."

The 243-member Bihar Assembly elections will occur in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results to be announced on November 14.