During the Bihar bandh, Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar were prevented from boarding Rahul Gandhi's truck. This has reignited an old dispute with Tejashwi Yadav, exposing internal conflicts within the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance).
Bihar Election: A new controversy emerged during the bandh called by the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar on July 9th. When Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar were stopped from joining the shared platform, i.e., boarding the truck, during the protest led by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, it didn't seem like a mere technical issue or a security concern. It once again stirred the old dispute, exposing the tension between Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya versus Tejashwi Yadav.
Reason for Protest: Objection to Voter List Verification
Ahead of the Bihar elections, the opposition parties targeted the state government over the ongoing intensive revision and verification campaign of the voter list in the state. The Bihar bandh was called in protest of this. Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, and many leaders of the Mahagathbandhan took to the streets in support of the bandh. However, the issue turned into a political firestorm when Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar were prevented from boarding the truck.
Politics of Protest or Leadership Insecurity?
Many political analysts believe that the RJD, and especially Tejashwi Yadav, have felt uneasy with leaders like Kanhaiya Kumar and Pappu Yadav. Both leaders hold b influence in their respective areas. Pappu Yadav is influential in the Kosi and Seemanchal regions, while Kanhaiya Kumar is popular among the youth and urban Muslim population. This is why the RJD hesitates to give these leaders equal space in the Mahagathbandhan.
Politics of Caste and Regional Equations
Both Tejashwi Yadav and Pappu Yadav come from the Yadav community, which is the traditional vote bank of the RJD. Pappu Yadav's decision to form his own party and later join the Congress stemmed from his inability to accept Tejashwi's leadership. Moreover, both are eyeing the Muslim-Yadav equation in regions like Seemanchal. Therefore, the rise of Pappu Yadav is perceived as a direct political threat to the RJD.
Kanhaiya's Challenge: Clash of Young Faces
Kanhaiya Kumar has an image of a young, dynamic, and ideologically driven leader. The RJD has been trying to establish Tejashwi Yadav as the face of youth politics in Bihar for several years. In such a scenario, the RJD feels uneasy with the increasing popularity of Kanhaiya Kumar, who has joined the Congress. That is why, despite being a leader of an allied party, he is not given a prominent place on the main platform.
Reactions from Prashant Kishor and Other Leaders
Prashant Kishor, the leader of Jan Suraaj, reacted to the incident by saying that the RJD is afraid of such influential leaders who could challenge its leadership. He called Kanhaiya Kumar a talented leader. Meanwhile, Sanjay Nirupam, a leader of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), alleged that the Congress had publicly humiliated Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya, and all this happened under pressure from the RJD. The JDU also criticized the RJD and Tejashwi Yadav on this issue.
Previous Instances of Tension
This is not the first time that a rift has been seen between Tejashwi Yadav and these leaders. In 2019, when Kanhaiya Kumar contested the election from Begusarai, the RJD fielded its own candidate from there, despite being in the alliance. In 2024 as well, the Congress wanted to field him from Begusarai, but he was forced to contest from North East Delhi.
Speaking of Pappu Yadav, before the 2024 elections, he had talked about merging with the RJD, but there was no agreement on the seat. He merged his party with the Congress, but later, when he did not get a ticket, he contested as an independent and won.
