Rahul Gandhi comeback: The excitement of Bihar Assembly elections is now at its peak. This election battle is now looking no less than a ‘Mahabharata’, where on one hand the pair of experienced and stalwart Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is trying to give a new edge to the NDA’s election campaign, while on the other hand, the command of the Grand Alliance rests on the shoulders of young leader Tejashwi Yadav. Tejashwi Yadav single-handedly remained the captain of the political boat with all his energy. In such a situation, the question was arising whether in the electoral battle they need such a ‘Krishna’, who can become their charioteer and take them to the throne of power? Now it seems that the Grand Alliance has found its ‘Sarathi’.
Rahul Gandhi’s explosive comeback in election campaign
Yes, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is once again starting the election campaign in Bihar from Wednesday. After almost a month away, Rahul Gandhi’s activism in Bihar is no less than a lifeline for the Grand Alliance. After the CWC meeting of Congress in Patna on September 24, Rahul Gandhi had kind of distanced himself from Bihar, due to which the enthusiasm of the Grand Alliance was being felt. But now, just seven days before the first phase of voting, Rahul Gandhi’s entry into the fray is a big bet for the Grand Alliance. On Wednesday, not only will Rahul Gandhi hold massive rallies in Sakra and Darbhanga of Muzaffarpur in support of the Grand Alliance candidates, but Grand Alliance’s chief ministerial contenders Tejashwi Yadav and Mukesh Sahni will also be seen sharing the stage with him. Through this joint campaign, the Grand Alliance is once again making a strategy to convey the message of its unity to the public and win the electoral battle of Bihar.
Enthusiasm was aroused by ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’
Along with Rahul Gandhi, many big leaders including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi are also entering the electoral battle in Bihar. The brother-sister duo of Rahul and Priyanka have planned to hold rallies continuously in Bihar for the next ten days. Remember, before the assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi had taken out ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ from August 17 to September 1, covering a distance of about 1300 kilometers in 25 districts. This visit not only filled the enthusiasm among the Congress workers but also boosted the morale of the Grand Alliance. However, Rahul Gandhi’s absence for more than a month had not only cooled that enthusiasm, but internal cracks had also started emerging in the Congress party and the alliance. Rahul’s distance affected the momentum and confidence of Congress, due to which the issue of seat sharing in the Grand Alliance also got stuck.
Tejashwi’s challenge alone in the political middle
Rahul Gandhi’s absence had a direct impact on the election campaign of the Grand Alliance. Tejashwi Yadav was seen standing alone in the political middle. While his father and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav is not very active due to health reasons, brother Tej Pratap Yadav is following a different political path. In such a situation, other parties of the grand alliance like Congress and Mukesh Sahni were also chanting ‘Apni Dhapli Apna Raag’.
On the other hand, on the NDA side, all the big leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, CM Nitish Kumar and Chirag Paswan were busy in creating the election atmosphere in Bihar. In this environment, Tejashwi Yadav was the only one who was holding the front from the Grand Alliance. After ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, Tejashwi definitely tried to create an atmosphere by taking out ‘Bihar Yatra’ in some important districts, but the matter got a bit complicated due to the absence of a big face like Rahul Gandhi, the effect of which was also visible on the election campaign.
Now eyes on Rahul-Priyanka’s ‘chemistry’
Now that the issue of seat sharing in the Grand Alliance has been resolved and Tejashwi Yadav’s face has been approved, Rahul Gandhi is again becoming active in Bihar. He has planned joint rallies with Tejashwi Yadav and Mukesh Sahni. On the first day, he will address rallies for the Congress candidate in Sakra and the RJD candidate in Darbhanga. On October 30 also, Rahul Gandhi will hold two meetings in Bihar. In this way, Rahul is planning 12 to 14 rallies in Bihar. Apart from this, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will campaign in Bihar from October 31 and Priyanka Gandhi from November 1.
In the remaining ten days of the election campaign, either Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi will hold election programs in Bihar every day. Brother and sister will hold about twenty public meetings in Bihar. These two leaders are most in demand among the star campaigners of Congress. Before Rahul and Priyanka’s election campaign gets into full swing, the Grand Alliance has started efforts to end the situation of internal rift.
After the announcement of the manifesto of the Grand Alliance and the entry of Rahul-Priyanka, now it remains to be seen whether Rahul Gandhi succeeds in taking the Grand Alliance to power by becoming the election charioteer for Tejashwi Yadav in Bihar. Tejashwi Yadav’s imprint is visible on every step of the Grand Alliance in Bihar, whether it is a poster or a manifesto. In such a situation, it will be interesting to see whether this pair of Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi will be able to give competition to NDA in the electoral ‘Mahabharata’.