'Our leaders ready to make any sacrifice to save Bihar': Pappu Yadav on Mahagathbandhan unity

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) As questions continue to swirl around the internal cohesion of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, Purnea MP Pappu Yadav, one of the key leaders of the bloc, on Wednesday said that coordination talks are progressing and ‘leaders will make any sacrifice to save Bihar’.

Speaking to reporters, Yadav said, “There will be a joint press conference tomorrow. The leadership will decide what to do, what not to do, and what will happen. We are saying that our leaders are ready to make any sacrifice. We want Bihar to survive under any circumstances. An INDIA bloc government should be formed in Bihar,” he said.

Pappu Yadav further emphasised his support for Rahul Gandhi as the face of the alliance in Bihar.

“My clarity is that under all circumstances, we need to contest the elections under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. The people of this state have faith in Rahul Gandhi's struggle,” he added, positioning the Congress leader as central to the alliance's electoral narrative.

Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh added that key national leaders would soon join the campaign trail.

“Rahul Gandhi will also come, Priyanka will come too, and all the senior leaders will be coming as well in the election campaign,” Singh confirmed.

Addressing speculation around seat-sharing disagreements, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot downplayed reports of discord.

“There’s no major dispute here. There are 243 seats, and in such a large alliance, having differences over 5–10 seats is nothing unusual. In any state where there’s an alliance, it’s possible that disagreements may arise over a few seats,” Gehlot said.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) announced its decision not to contest the Bihar Assembly elections this time, prompting a response from Congress leader Udit Raj, who urged flexibility within the alliance.

“…Congress is making some adjustments, and JMM should do the same. Our focus is to protect the Constitution and democracy, which sometimes requires minor compromises. When we contested elections in Jharkhand, we accepted the seats allotted and similarly, one should maintain a broad perspective…” Raj noted.

While opposition leaders have acknowledged friction, they have reiterated a shared commitment to present a united front against the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming Bihar polls, which are scheduled for November 6 and 11, with results to be declared on November 14.

--IANS

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