Tejashwi launched the manifesto, but allies including Rahul Gandhi remained missing from the stage. Is everything not well in the Grand Alliance?

News India Live, Digital Desk: There is still time to sound the bugle for Bihar Assembly elections 2025, but Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, coming into full election mode, has released his ‘Bihar ka Tejashwi Pledge’. During a big program in Patna, he opened his box of promises for the people of Bihar. But on this big occasion, something happened which has started a new and big debate in the political circles of Bihar. Major allies of the Grand Alliance, especially Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, were completely missing from the stage of Tejashwi’s mega show.

After this incident, now the question is gaining momentum that is everything not going well within the opposition ‘Grand Alliance’ in Bihar?

RJD’s show of strength, allies sidelined?

The launch program of ‘Pran Patra’ issued by Tejashwi Yadav was organized by RJD as a big show of strength. All the big leaders of RJD were present on the stage, and only Tejashwi’s posters were put up everywhere. But no big leader of Congress, Left or any other allied party was seen in this entire program.

Rahul Gandhi’s absence was especially galling, because at the national level all these parties are together under the ‘INDIA’ alliance. In such a situation, the absence of allies on the occasion of announcement of such a big election promise cannot be considered a mere coincidence.

What is the political meaning of this distance?

Political pundits are deriving many meanings from this incident:

1. Establishing Tejashwi as CM face: RJD wants to give a clear message through this program that the face of the Grand Alliance in Bihar is one and only Tejashwi Yadav. He is setting the election agenda on his own.
2. Politics of pressure before seat-sharing: This could be a strategy from RJD to put pressure on its allies. By organizing the program alone, RJD wants to show that it has the strongest hold in Bihar, hence it should have the largest share in the seat distribution.
3. Internal tussle in the alliance: This could also be an indication of the internal tussle going on within the Grand Alliance. It is possible that there may not be complete consensus among the partners regarding the promises made in the ‘promissory note’.
4. Congress’s anger? It is possible that Congress did not like being sidelined in this way, and that is why they thought it better to distance themselves from this program.

What did Tejashwi say?

However, when Tejashwi Yadav was asked about this, he did not give much importance to it and said that all the allies are together. But the picture seen on the stage did not match his words.

Tejashwi may have tried to energize his party workers with this ‘Ekla Chalo’ move, but he has unknowingly given an opportunity to his opponents to say that unity in the opposition is just a show. Now it remains to be seen whether Congress gives any reaction on this or everything is ‘fixed’ before the elections.