Thu Oct 23 04:56:49 UTC 2025: News Article:
BJP Taunts Congress as Rahul Gandhi’s Image Absent from Bihar Alliance Posters
Patna, Bihar – As the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) prepares for a press conference in Patna where RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is expected to be announced as the alliance’s Chief Ministerial candidate for the upcoming Bihar elections, the BJP has seized the opportunity to criticize the Congress party.
The BJP’s criticism centers on the absence of Rahul Gandhi’s photograph from the posters advertising the press conference, which prominently features Tejashwi Yadav. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to social media to accuse the RJD of disrespecting the Congress, using the phrase “samman chori” (theft of respect), a play on Gandhi’s “vote chori” campaign.
Poonawalla further alleged that the RJD had effectively bullied the Congress into accepting Tejashwi Yadav as the alliance’s face, claiming the RJD threatened to allocate zero seats to the Congress if it did not comply. This comes as Ashok Gehlot, a veteran Congress leader, is in Patna to try and smooth over the seat-sharing differences between the RJD and the Congress.
The BJP is portraying the incident as a sign of weakness on the part of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, questioning their influence within the alliance. The Mahagathbandhan hopes the press conference will project an image of unity after weeks of tense seat-sharing negotiations.
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