Amid Political Turmoil, Organization was Zero, Rahul Became a Hero Through His Bihar Tour
By Ritesh Sinha
With the slogan “Vote Chor Gaddi Chhor” (Vote thief, step down from the throne), LOP Rahul Gandhi, along with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, made a strong bid to rally support in Bihar for the INDIA alliance. The impact was visible from the crowd gathered at Gandhi Maidan. After the abusive remark incident in Darbhanga, the BJP took to the streets, calling for a shutdown. The bandh did not have much effect, but the “beedi episode” reignited Bihar’s sense of identity.
Former Congressman and now JDU leader Ashok Choudhary, along with State Health Minister Mangal Pandey, launched a fierce attack on the Congress, demanding an apology. Following this, Congress engaged in damage control and had the post deleted. CWC member and Senior MP Tariq Anwar, once in charge of Kerala; now politically sidelined, tried unsuccessfully to keep the issue alive with his statements. Tariq has long played the game of cornering Congress with odd remarks, and this episode was no different.
The tussle over ticket distribution within the INDIA alliance still lies ahead after the tour. The Congress, which has already chosen seats and candidates, continues to mislead its own workers. Rahul’s Bihar tour may have brought Congress workers out of their homes and onto the streets, even creating a favorable atmosphere for the party. However, the limited political understanding of some Congress leaders—who spoke of giving tickets only to OBC, EBC, and Dalit candidates—has pushed a significant upper-caste vote bank toward Jan Suraaj and the BJP-led alliance. With its limited seats in the alliance, Congress may end up facing anger from within its own ranks. During the tour, neither the state president nor senior leaders or MPs were allowed to come forward, a decision that may cost the party dearly.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier undertaken the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Millions walked with him, yet despite the grand alliance, Congress could not even cross into triple digits, stopping at 99 seats. Who gains or loses from this tour will ultimately be decided by the election results. Political analysts have already begun their calculations. With the Congress organizationally scattered, and the BJP; a master at working in an organized manner, it remains doubtful whether the INDIA alliance will succeed easily.
After Rahul’s tour, a long queue has formed within Congress of leaders demanding tickets. These include OBC and EBC leaders who found no space in parties like JDU, RJD, or SP, which are already dominated by OBC politics. They entered Congress with positions in hand, and through the “do-lo” formula (double benefits), became chairmen at national, state, and district levels, now claiming tickets. In the midst of Rahul’s tour, these opportunistic leaders even held parallel rallies and finalized their own candidate lists. Despite the Gayaji episode, the “ticket game” has now begun. The economic rule of supply and demand fully applies to ticket distribution in Bihar Congress.
Meanwhile, VIP supremo Mukesh Sahani, too, has recalibrated himself after Rahul Gandhi’s Bihar tour. In the national face-off between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, he virtually surrendered, announcing the sacrifice of some seats and pledging to give 37% of tickets to the extremely backward classes. In the changed atmosphere, he declared that he no longer intends to sell tickets or nominate only Kevat-Mallah candidates. His priority now is to give seats to OBCs and Dalits. However, in a TV interview, he did not categorically rule out giving tickets to his brother and wife. After the Lalu family, dynastic politics continues to thrive within both the Mahagathbandhan and the VIP party.
The BJP and Nitish Kumar’s NDA, meanwhile, are fully prepared to adopt the “divide and rule” policy to break into the Mahagathbandhan. Until now, NDA allies were moving in sync, but post-tour, maneuvering has begun to ensure BJP’s strategy succeeds. Chirag Paswan of LJP is demanding nothing less than 40 seats, while Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM, with the bold slogan “Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin” (We are no less than anyone), is asking BJP’s top leadership for 30 seats. The JDU has already handed over its list of candidates for 100 seats to the BJP. The smaller allies are still awaiting instructions. These parties are gearing up to distribute tickets to the frustrated Congress hopefuls who were denied tickets, many of whom had been parading with flags during Rahul’s tour. Their goal is to capture votes of OBC communities outside of Dalits, Dalit-Muslims, and Yadavs. The political churn in Bihar continues—the game is far from over!
