7 months ago
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Senior Congress person Ashok Gehlot connected Wednesday (October 22, 2025) met RJD president Lalu Prasad, seemingly with the mandate to defuse tensions with the ally, which has plunged the INDIA bloc into turmoil successful poll-bound Bihar.
Emerging aft the meeting, Mr. Gehlot said winning Bihar was "extremely important" for the Opposition alliance, aft having been drubbed successful a important State similar Maharashtra, but evaded a nonstop reply erstwhile asked whether the Congress was acceptable to state the RJD supremo's lad and heir evident Tejashwi Yadav arsenic the Chief Ministerial candidate.
Also Read: Bihar Assembly predetermination LIVE: Updates connected October 22, 2025
"Why bash you privation maine to marque specified an announcement?" snapped the erstwhile Rajasthan CM erstwhile journalists asked him astir the Congress' basal connected Mr. Yadav, who had precocious urged the radical to marque Rahul Gandhi "the adjacent Prime Minister".
Mr. Gehlot said, "You person seen the chemistry betwixt Rahul and Tejashwi during the Voter Adhikar Yatra 2 months agone erstwhile the 2 leaders travelled crossed the State. They volition instrumentality an due determination astatine an due time".
Speculation is rife that the Congress’ reluctance to backmost Mr. Yadav, who has been campaigning for a "Tejashwi sarkar", has irked its larger determination ally.
Of the 243 seats successful the Assembly, the RJD and Congress are contesting 143 and 61, respectively, but some parties are headed for a "friendly fight" successful astatine slightest 5 constituencies.
Congress candidates are besides up against the CPI, different confederation partner, successful 3 different seats.
However, Mr. Gehlot, who had upon accomplishment successful the metropolis told reporters astatine the airdrome "a affable combat successful 5 oregon 10 seats was nary large deal", said aft gathering Mr. Prasad, "we anticipation things volition beryllium ironed retired by the past day for withdrawal of information papers tomorrow".
However, 5 of these seats autumn successful the archetypal phase, for which the deadline for withdrawal ended connected Monday (October 20).
Mr. Gehlot, who was accompanied by Krishna Allavaru, the AICC Bihar in-charge, who is being blamed by a conception of enactment leaders successful the State for messing things up, insisted that the Congress was superior astir the Assembly polls successful a State wherever it has ceased to beryllium a large player.
"It is highly important for america to triumph the polls. More truthful aft the confederation of which Congress was a portion mislaid Maharashtra. The Bihar polls volition acceptable the code for nationalist politics. It is indispensable that the NDA, which has caused divisions successful nine and messed up the economy, gets a setback. The radical of Bihar are omniscient capable to realise this," Mr. Gehlot said.
When it was pointed retired that the Mahagathbandhan, the sanction by which Congress, RJD, and Left harvester person been known since earlier the INDIA bloc came into existence, was yet to clasp a associated property league successful the poll-bound State, Mr. Gehlot and Mr. Allavaru said successful unison, "It volition instrumentality spot tomorrow".
Mr. Gehlot alleged that "the turmoil successful the NDA is, successful fact, greater than it is successful our camp. But the media does not item that due to the fact that of bias successful favour of the ruling coalition".
The 243-member Bihar Assembly volition spell to polls successful 2 phases connected November 6 and 11, with results acceptable to beryllium announced connected November 14, 2025.
