Tejashwi skips Rahul rally, NDA takes dig at alliance

Patna: Tejashwi Yadav skipping AICC president Rahul Gandhi’s public meeting on Saturday has fuelled speculations about a rift in the Grand Alliance.

This was Rahul Gandhi’s fourth public meeting in Bihar since election dates were announced. Mr Gandhi was in Supaul to campaign for Congress nominee Ranjeet Ranjan where he targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on various issues.

“He (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) is trying hard but people of Bihar and people of this country have made up their mind to stop chowkidar this time,” AICC president Rahul Gandhi said while addressing a public meeting in Supaul on Saturday.

He also asked people to vote for Congress candidate from Supaul Ranjeet Ranjan and defeat the JD-U nominee.

“Ranjeet Ranjan has the potential, please vote for her. She needs your blessings to defeat the NDA”. Mr Gandhi said while addressing the masses in Supaul.

Sources said that Tejashwi Yadav’s absence from the event gave NDA a chance to raise questions on the unity of grand alliance in Bihar.

Reports suggest that the ongoing tension between RJD and Congress over Ranjeet Ranjan’s husband Pappu Yadav candidature in Madhepura was one of the reasons behind Tejashwi Yadav’s absence from the event.

Questions were also raised when RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, who was present on the stage with Rahul Gandhi, asked people to “vote for Ranjeet Ranjan in Supaul but support veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadav in Madhepura”.

Ranjeet Ranjan’s husband Pappu Yadav had contested on RJD ticket and won in 2014 from the seat but a year later he was expelled from the party for engaging in anti-party activities. Sources said the Congress party had earlier tried to persuade Ranjeet Ranjan to convince her husband not to contest from Madhepura but he filed his nominations from the seat.

There are also reports that RJD’s district president and Pipra MLA Yaduvansh Kumar Yadav has decided to support an independent candidate from the seat.

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