PATNA: On Sunday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) announced the 20 candidates in the Bihar Legislative Council poll while allocating a seat for the Communist Party of India. It is unclear whether the RJD will offer the remaining three seats to Congress, which is believed to plan to contest all 24 seats individually.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said the decision to fight for the majority was in line with the wishes of the party and its supporters. “We support Congress ideologically. But it should be regional parties, whether it’s the RJD, Trinamool Congress [TMC], Samajwadi Party [SP], that should dominate,” he said.

An RJD leader said Yadav saw an opportunity to boost the party’s approval ratings in the 2024 national polls. “That’s why he’s starting to get tough on Parliament so his party doesn’t lessen under pressure to give National more seats.”

Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal sent 161 members to parliament, the second leader said. He added that Yadav knew that if he could become part of a regional bloc, rather than aligning himself with Congress alone, he could raise his profile as the country’s leader. “That’s why RJD is backing TMC in Bangladesh polls and SP in Uttar Pradesh.”

Yadav’s disagreement with Congress is believed to have started after National won just 19 of the 70 seats allotted in the 2020 parliamentary elections. The RJD is said to have chosen to stand in parliamentary votes in Tarapur and Kushweshwar Asthan in October, ignoring Congress because of the differences.

RJD chairman Lalu Prasad Yadav cited Congress’ poor performance in the 2020 Bihar polls as one of the factors preventing his coalition from forming a government. “Congress can always compete for 24 [Legislative Council] seats on its own. Who’s stopping them?”

Congress leader Harku Jha said Congress had not decoupled or severed ties from the RJD. “It’s RJD that’s doing it. It’s unfortunate,” he said.

Last week, Congress leader Shakir Ahmed Khan slammed the RJD for acting arrogantly. “The RJD will only come to Congress when it is weak again. This arrogant attitude from the RJD is not good,” he said.

BJP leader Ashok Kumar Sinha said the RJD’s snub reflected the growing hostility between the two allies. “It also shows a weakening of central leadership in Congress. Congress will be weakened even more in the eastern states.”

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times