The RJD-led alliance faces fresh criticism from the BJP over a press meet poster featuring only Tejashwi Yadav, fueling rumors of internal discord.
Efforts by the opposition Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) to project a united front for the upcoming Bihar elections faced immediate turbulence on Thursday, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seized upon the apparent exclusion of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s image from the alliance’s joint press conference posters in Patna.
The controversy erupted just ahead of the key press meet—where RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is widely expected to be named the Chief Ministerial face—and put an immediate dent in the carefully orchestrated show of solidarity.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla quickly took to X (formerly Twitter), mocking the omission and using it to hit back at the Congress’s recent campaign rhetoric. “Joint PC? But only one picture. Rahul Gandhi & Congress ka ‘samman chori’. Showed Congress & Rahul his place?” Poonawalla posted, playing on Gandhi’s ‘vote chori’ accusation against the Election Commission.
The attack was further escalated by BJP’s Gaurav Bhatia, who drew a historical parallel by comparing Tejashwi Yadav to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, coining the term “Tejaszeb.” Bhatia questioned the RJD leader’s “insecurity” for allegedly excluding not just Rahul Gandhi but also RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav from the poster. “After Aurangzeb, now Tejaszeb! Such insecurity was not seen in any emperor. Pictures of national president Lalu and Rahul Gandhi are both missing! The legacy of Jungle Raj and the standing of Congress both out of the poster!” Bhatia tweeted.
The public spat highlights the deep-seated tensions the opposition bloc has been grappling with over seat sharing and the formal announcement of a CM candidate. Hectic parleys culminated on Wednesday with Congress leaders, including senior election observer Ashok Gehlot and Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, meeting Tejashwi Yadav and Lalu Prasad Yadav to smooth over differences.
Sources suggest that during the crucial meeting, the Congress was reportedly pressed to withdraw candidates in constituencies where ‘friendly fights’ were emerging and to formally endorse Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial nominee.
Despite the visual controversy, the Congress downplayed any suggestions of a rift. Senior leader Ashok Gehlot asserted that the Mahagathbandhan “was united and contesting the elections as a strong force.” Similarly, Tejashwi Yadav sought to quell the controversy, assuring that the scheduled press conference would “clear all doubts” regarding the alliance’s unity and its election agenda.
The RJD had previously released a list of 143 candidates on Monday, with several constituencies seeing conflicting nominations from both RJD and Congress—a situation that alliance partners hoped to resolve by the final day for withdrawing nominations, which is today for the second phase of the two-phase polls.
The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled for November 6 and 11, with results expected on November 14.