Patna: Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar Ram met Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav in Patna on Saturday, signalling a renewed push for coordination within the INDIA bloc in the state. Congress Legislature Party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan also attended the meeting.
The meeting follows Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru’s recent interaction with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad in Delhi AIIMS. “This was a formal meeting. We discussed how to take the INDIA alliance forward and hold meetings regularly,” said Rajesh Ram, adding that all alliance partners would soon convene to finalise strategies.
When asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi meeting Tejashwi Yadav, Ram said, “Today’s discussions addressed the very questions being raised by you [the media]. A formal interaction has taken place regarding coordination.”
On the matter of projecting Tejashwi Yadav as the chief ministerial face of the Grand Alliance, Ram said a joint meeting of alliance partners would clarify the picture.
Earlier in the day, at the Congress state headquarters, Rajesh Ram and Shakeel Ahmad Khan briefed the media on Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming visit to Bihar. Gandhi is scheduled to arrive on Sunday, with three key events planned.
He will travel directly to Begusarai from Patna airport to join Kanhaiya Kumar in the Berozgaari Se Azadi padyatra. Later, he will attend the Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall in Patna, followed by a meeting with Congress leaders at Sadakat Ashram.
“Rahul Gandhi will engage with leaders and workers, sharing his vision for strengthening the party in Bihar,” Ram said. “He will also offer guidelines on taking the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ initiative to the grassroots and energising the organisation at the Panchayat level.”
Following a day of engagements, Gandhi will return to Delhi in the evening. He is expected to attend the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Sabarmati, Gujarat, on April 8, where key leaders from Bihar will also be present.
