Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav will meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on Tuesday, ahead of a key Mahagathbandhan meeting in Patna on April 17 to strategise for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. The meeting is scheduled to take place at Kharge’s residence, with sources indicating that Rahul Gandhi may also be present.
The high-level discussion comes just days before all constituent parties of the Mahagathbandhan—including RJD, Congress, and CPI(ML)—convene in Patna to deliberate on seat-sharing arrangements and the contentious question of projecting a chief ministerial face.
Congress state president Rajesh Ram and Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru are expected to attend the Patna meeting. This will be Allavaru’s first joint meeting with Tejashwi since assuming charge, though he met RJD chief Lalu Prasad at AIIMS Delhi earlier this month.
Differences between the RJD and Congress over the CM face have persisted, with Allavaru publicly stating that the issue will be settled only after the elections. “When the INDIA alliance meets, decisions on seats and leadership will be taken collectively,” he said following a party meeting in Delhi in March. Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who recently attended a rally in Patna organised by Kanhaiya Kumar, echoed this sentiment, stressing that leadership questions will be addressed post-victory.
Congress is also intensifying its campaign in Bihar, with Kharge set to visit the state on a two-day tour beginning April 19. He will address rallies in Buxar on April 19 and in Patna on April 20. His visit comes twelve days after Rahul Gandhi’s campaign stop in the state on April 7.
