In an observation that drew considerable flak, Rahul Gandhi was asked about whether RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav would be the next Chief Minister of Bihar. Gandhi provided a careful answer, neither supporting nor denying that it would happen. His careful silence certainly added impact to the current speculation about the INDIA bloc’s ongoing seat-sharing discussions.
Key Exchange Prompts Discussion
The question was asked during an interactive public event in Bihar, after some persistent questioning by reporters regarding Gandhi’s position on Yadav. Gandhi took another slight side-step by not giving a direct answer, rephrasing the question, and broaching the issue.
While the timing may seem bad for the Congress party’s bona fides, it certainly sparked renewed discussion about Congress’s standing within the alliance, let alone being ‘kingmakers’ within or outside of it.
Significance of Gandhi’s Silence
Political analysts believe that Gandhi’s silence is due to unstated negotiations between Congress and the RJD. Reports say Tejashwi has proclaimed himself as the natural CM face of the conglomerate, while Congress is equivocal about an actual endorsement of him. In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, Congress ran on 70 seats and only won 19, while RJD ran in 75 and went on to be the largest party. The math of the situation continues to affect the fragile negotiations about seat-sharing.
A Broader Context of the INDIA Bloc
Nonetheless, given the uncertainty, both Gandhi and Tejashwi have been spotted campaigning together during the “Voter Adhikar Yatra” in Bihar. The campaign’s focus is on alleged violations in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls. Tejashwi has also been an outspoken proponent of Gandhi as the INDIA block’s prime ministerial candidate for 2029, and the two have shown a public display of unity.
What It Indicates
The studied response from Rahul Gandhi indicates the delicate balance inside the INDIA bloc. While he continues to appear on the same platform as Tejashwi and is publicly signalling alliance solidarity, his deliberate ambiguity on the CM question suggests to me that Congress may be waiting for an acceptable seat-sharing agreement before committing.
