Patna, March 17 – Following its defeat in the Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar, internal discord has emerged within the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance).
Independent MP from Purnea, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, launched a sharp attack on Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday, accusing him of failing to build consensus and coordinate with party leadership.
Pappu Yadav stated that Tejashwi Yadav was aware of the political situation but did not convene meetings or consult key stakeholders, including the state president and the in-charge of Congress. He termed this a dereliction of duty, emphasizing that a collective strategy should have been formulated ahead of the elections.
In the Rajya Sabha polls held on Monday, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured all five seats, dealing a major setback to the opposition alliance. The absence of four Mahagathbandhan MLAs during voting significantly altered the outcome and tilted the balance in favour of the NDA.
Among the winners, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP National President Nitin Nabin secured 44 votes each. Upendra Kushwaha and Ramnath Thakur received 42 votes each. The Mahagathbandhan’s candidate, Amarendra Dhari Singh, managed only 37 votes.
After the counting of second-preference votes, the fifth seat also went to the NDA with the victory of BJP candidate Shivesh Ram.
According to the Mahagathbandhan’s strategy, it had secured the support of five MLAs from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen led by Asaduddin Owaisi, along with one MLA from the BSP.
However, four MLAs failed to participate in the voting process – Congress legislators Surendra Kushwaha (Valmiki Nagar), Manoj Biswas (Forbesganj), Manohar Singh (Manihari), and RJD MLA Faisal Rahman (Dhaka).
Their absence proved decisive and dashed the alliance’s hopes. Congress MLA Manoj Biswas later claimed that he abstained from voting on the instructions of Bihar Congress State President Rajesh Ram, citing dissatisfaction with candidate selection.
Similarly, Surendra Kushwaha criticized the leadership, stating that no candidate from Backward, Dalit, or Mahadalit communities was nominated, alleging that the candidate was imposed, which led to his absence.
Meanwhile, responding to allegations of horse-trading raised by Tejashwi Yadav, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh countered that the opposition leader should first address internal disunity within his own alliance.
He remarked that Tejashwi failed to maintain cohesion and later resorted to confining MLAs in hotels.
Sharing the same sentiments, JD(U) Chief Spokesperson Neeraj Kumar criticized Tejashwi Yadav, stating that the electoral outcome reflects public and moral accountability, even invoking the timing during the holy month of Ramadan.