"RJD workers fighting against Congress on ground": BJP's Pradeep Bhandari claims internal rift in Mahagathbandhan

New Delhi [India], October 18 (ANI): Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Saturday claimed "internal tug of war" within the opposition Mahagathbandhan, saying that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) workers were fighting against Congress workers on the ground.
Speculating on the reports regarding RJD intending to field a candidate against Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram, who is currently MLA from Kutumba assembly constituency, Bhandari said, "Aapsi Ladai Ke Phatake: Mahagathbandhan main Phoot Rahe Hain."
"Mahagathbandhan in Bihar has till not officially announced its seat sharing. There are reports that RJD wants to have a candidate against the Congress Bihar President. Mahagathbandhan in Bihar is fighting a massive Internal tug of war: Rahul Gandhi has asked his party men to not focus on RJD seats. RJD workers are fighting against Congress workers on ground," Bhandari posted on X.
"Tejasvi Yadav and Mukesh Sahni have no face to show their workers; after been humiliated by Congress and Rahul Gandhi," he added.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said Tejashwi Yadav, a "very popular candidate" and the former deputy CM, should be declared the Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial candidate. She stressed that mistakes in seat allocation and candidate selection, which were seen in Maharashtra, must not be repeated in Bihar.
Chaturvedi told ANI, "The mistakes made in the Maharashtra elections, including not declaring the chief ministerial candidate, as well as disputes among the three alliance partners over seat allocation and candidate selection, should not be repeated in Bihar. Tejashwi Yadav is a very popular candidate."
Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) chief Pashupati Kumar Paras confirmed that his party has decided to go solo in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, hoping to win a "good number of seats" in the first phase.
Speaking to ANI, Paras said that the decision was taken after efforts to form an alliance with the opposition Mahagathbandhan did not yield any results.
"We made significant efforts to form an alliance with the Mahagathbandhan, but the alliance did not materialise. Our party is strong in Bihar with the support of Dalit Sena. We have decided to contest the elections alone. I am hopeful that in the first phase of the elections, we will win a good number of seats," RLJP chief Paras said.
Om Prakash Rajbhar's Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) released another list of six candidates for the assembly poll, deciding to contest alone in Bihar after its party chief expressed dissatisfaction with the NDA for not offering any seat. The party already released its first list of 47 candidates earlier.
Congress released its first list of 48 candidates for the polls. According to an official statement, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Rajesh Ram will contest from the Kutumba Assembly seat, while Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan will fight from the Kadwa constituency.
Out of the total 48 candidates, 24 will be contested in the first phase of elections and 24 in the second phase. The party said that the remaining names will be announced in due course.
Polling for the Bihar elections 2025 will take place on November 6 and 11. The results will be announced on November 14. (ANI)