Patna, July 9: The ‘Bihar Bandh’ protest led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday against the Election Commission’s special voter list revision exposed growing rifts within the opposition’s INDIA bloc. The protest, which saw major road blockades in Patna, also triggered controversy after senior Congress leader Pappu Yadav and youth leader Kanhaiya Kumar were denied access to the main protest vehicle.
Rahul Gandhi, who flew into Patna from Delhi, joined the Chakka Jam briefly before returning to the capital. During the protest, Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who had merged his Jan Adhikar Party with the Congress earlier this year, was reportedly pushed aside by security personnel as he attempted to join Rahul and Tejashwi on their chariot.
Despite carrying the Congress flag and trying to stand with the top leadership, Yadav was blocked from boarding the vehicle. A similar snub was faced by Congress youth leader Kanhaiya Kumar, further fueling speculation of deep-rooted friction within the alliance.
Ironically, Pappu Yadav was the first to call for a Chakka Jam against the alleged voter list manipulation, which was later expanded into a full Bihar Bandh by the Congress and RJD—effectively sidelining him.
Yadav, who was denied a Congress ticket from Purnea in the recent Lok Sabha elections, ran as an independent and defeated RJD’s Bima Bharti, highlighting tensions with both Tejashwi Yadav and the Congress high command.
Political observers say Wednesday’s events reflect internal power struggles and strategic sidelining within the opposition alliance. While the protest targeted alleged attempts to delete poor voters’ names, the real spotlight was on the fragile dynamics between key INDIA bloc leaders as Bihar heads toward assembly elections.
