INDIA Bloc Plans Rally in Patna Ahead of Lok Sabha Elections

Patna: The INDIA bloc has scheduled a rally in Patna on March 3 to mobilize its supporters ahead of the Lok Sabha elections slated to be held later this year.

RJD President Lalu Yadav, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and other top leaders of the alliance are expected to attend the event. This marks the first occasion since the formation of the INDIA bloc in June 2023 where Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav will jointly address a rally.

The Congress leaders said that the rally would be named the “Jan Vishwas Maharally”. They believe that Rahul Gandhi’s presence on the stage, alongside leaders from the RJD and others would uplift the morale of their supporters and also energize the opposition alliance at the national level.

The rally aims to convey to the BJP-led NDA that the INDIA bloc remains united even without Nitish Kumar, who dumped the Mahagathbandhan in January and joined hands with the BJP.

After Nitish Kumar’s sudden exit from the Mahagathbandhan, Lalu Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav were invited to attend Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Purnea in January. However, they couldn’t attend the event due to ED summons.

Nitish Kumar switched to the NDA on January 28. He was sworn in alongside BJP’s Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is now the leader of the opposition, has accused Nitish Kumar of taking oath for the third time in a single tenure and the ninth time since 2005.

Mr. Yadav, currently on a statewide Jan Vishwas Yatra, has also urged people to show their support by participating in the rally on March 3.

“I urge you to reach Patna on March 3 and strengthen the Mahagathbandhan for the state’s development”, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said.

During his statewide Yatra, Tejashwi Yadav also assured the people that “the Mahagathbandhan would work to provide more jobs to the youths in Bihar”. He said “We provided 5 Lakh jobs to the youth in Bihar. We pledged 10 Lakh jobs and delivered 5 Lakh jobs in seventeen months. I urge you to assess the government’s performance. What we accomplished in seventeen months, they failed to achieve in seventeen years”.

There are also speculations that the RJD, Congress, and the left parties might soon reach a seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

RJD insiders have expressed confidence that there will be no issues in finalizing seat sharing among the INDIA bloc partners, and it will be completed before the election dates are announced.

They also pointed out the growing camaraderie between Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, claiming that Tejashwi will have a prominent role in the INDIA bloc. Furthermore, it is indicated that the RJD which is a senior partner in the Mahagathbandhan is likely to secure a large share of seats for Lok Sabha elections.