Leadership Crisis in INDIA Bloc After Bihar Setback
The opposition INDIA alliance is facing internal turmoil as partners express growing dissatisfaction with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's political leadership following the party's poor performance in Bihar. According to sources, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge approached Sonia Gandhi to intervene with her son after the devastating election results, fearing that alliance partners were becoming increasingly restless about Rahul's capability to lead the united opposition.
Campaign Missteps and Unilateral Decisions
The RJD's Tejashwi Yadav reportedly expressed strong dissatisfaction with Rahul Gandhi's campaign approach, noting that the Congress leader failed to maintain consistent presence after an initial promising start with motorcycle rallies. Sources indicate that Rahul was unavailable during critical moments when joint election strategy decisions needed to be made, and he reportedly left India twice during the campaign period, including being abroad when the election results were declared.
The tensions escalated when Rahul unilaterally announced Mukesh Sahani from the Vikassheel Insaan Party as the alliance's Deputy Chief Minister face, bypassing consultation with other partners. This move angered key vote banks including Muslims and Scheduled Castes, who believed someone from their communities should have been considered for the position. Notably, Sahani subsequently lost his election, and his party failed to win any seats.
Further embarrassment followed when Rahul, without consulting Tejashwi Yadav despite sitting next to him, raised allegations about BJP leaders attending lavish weddings of industrialist billionaires. This backfired when BJP supporters circulated memes showing RJD leader Lalu Prasad's entire family at Anant Ambani's wedding.
Allies Propose Alternative Leadership
The leadership concerns have prompted other INDIA alliance partners to suggest alternative arrangements. The Trinamool Congress publicly stated that Mamata Banerjee would be a more suitable choice to lead the opposition alliance. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav reportedly communicated with DMK's M.K. Stalin, highlighting the Congress party's dismal performance in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and suggesting the party needs a reality check about its actual ground strength.
Meanwhile, in other political developments, the BJP's strategy of unifying non-Jat communities in Haryana proved highly successful, with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini securing his government without needing support from Jat-based parties. The Congress performed poorly under Jat leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, leading to renewed optimism among descendants of Jat icon Devi Lal about reclaiming political relevance.
In Rajasthan, despite Congress celebrating its by-election victory in Anta constituency, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma remained unfazed. The constituency is adjacent to Jhalawar, represented by former CM Vasundhara Raje's son Dushyant Singh, and both had insisted on overseeing the campaign. Following the defeat, Raje sought an appointment with Home Minister Amit Shah but was directed to speak with the CM instead.
In separate developments, Home Minister Amit Shah inquired about JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar's succession plans given his frail health, while political observers noted that family ties appear to outweigh political differences in the Pawar family as Sharad Pawar's NCP remained silent about corruption allegations against Ajit Pawar's son Parth.
