PATNA: After Rahul Gandhi took over as Congress president, the party’s Bihar unit announced its plans to begin an Aamantran Yatra (invitation tour), hoping to bring back leaders and workers who had quit over the years.
But the event was put off just three days before it was to begin on January 18, citing “intense cold wave” as the reason. Congress insiders, however, said it was a fresh chill in relations within the party over ties with the RJD that played a spoilsport.
The sentencing of RJD chief Lalu Prasad has brought to a precipice the old divide within the Congress over its alliance with the party. While some party leaders are keen on continuing the alliance for poll gains, a majority want ties with the “tainted” Lalu and his party severed.
“RJD remains our natural ally. Any decision about the alliance will be decided by our high command,” said state Congress chief Kaukab Quadri.
But the anti-Lalu faction, led by former state Congress chief Ashok Chaudhary, is restive because Rahul is yet to take a decision on the issue, said a leader.
Though most Congress leaders agree that the ties with Lalu is harming the party, they are wary of the growing bonhomie between the anti-Lalu faction and the ruling JD(U).
Chaudhary is known to enjoy an excellent rapport with CM Nitish Kumar. While Chaudhary skipped a party meeting at the residence of Congress legislature party leader Sadanand Singh, he, along with two Congress MLAs, attended the Makar Sankranti feast at JD(U) state president Bashishtha Narayan Singh’s residence.
The meeting at Sadanand’s residence, convened to discuss “ways to strengthen the party”, was attended by only 10 of 27 Congress MLAs. Sources said most MLAs are “solidly behind Chaudhary” in his campaign for breaking ties with RJD.
Till any clear signal about the alliance comes from Rahul, the tension is likely to continue.