'Joint PC? But only one picture...': BJP's swipe before Mahagathbandhan presser

Boards, posters with photos of Tejashwi Yadav put up at venue.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wasted no time in taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, moments after the news of a joint Mahagathbandhan presser in Patna gained traction with boards and posters with photos of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Raghopur constituency candidate Tejashwi Yadav only were put up throughout the venue.

The poster led to speculation that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his party were being sidelined in the alliance. BJP spokesperson Shehzaad Poonawala took to X to take a swipe, asking, "Joint PC? But only one picture.... Rahul Gandhi & Congress ka 'samman chori' ..... Showed Congress & Rahul his place?"

Poonawalla also claimed that RJD has "virtually bullied and threatened Congress" to accept Tejashwi Yadav as its face. He added that RJD shot off a "chilling threat" to its ally, saying that it would give the Congress "zero seats" if it did not agree.

"So much for Rahul's macho man bravadogiri. .. If alliance partners are threatened imagine Janta ke saath kya hoga," he said, adding, "save the tweet & share if Rahul Gandhi does capitulate".

The Mahagathbandhan is set to finalize its alliance for the upcoming Bihar elections. Tejashwi Yadav has pledged to make Jeevika Didis permanent government employees with increased salaries and financial benefits.

The NDA has criticized these promises as lacking substance. The alliance aims to contest the elections unitedly, with a press conference scheduled to clarify the full situation.

The assurance of "no rift" in the alliance came from Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who, along with AICC Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, met with RJD's top leadership, Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday.

"Today, a highly positive meeting took place with AICC Bihar in-charge Shri Krishna Allavaru, along with Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav and Shri Tejashwi Yadav. The INDIA alliance in Bihar is fully united and is contesting the elections with strength. Tomorrow, the full schedule will be clarified in the Mahagathbandhan's press conference," Gehlot said.