Rahul, Tejashwi Yadav yet to share stage in Bihar

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav are yet to share the stage at an election rally in Bihar during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Sources said that a kind of 'bitterness' between the two leaders over the issue of seat sharing in Bihar and Jharkhand as well.

Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad wanted to contest from Madhubani Lok Sabha seat, but the seat went to Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) led by Mukesh Sahni.

After Sahni, a close confidant of Yadav, insisted to get Madhubani seat, Ahmed chose to resign from the Congress and decided to contest the poll as an independent candidate. VIP is an ally of grand alliance in Bihar, but is contesting the poll on the symbol of RJD.

The tussle over Chatra seat in Jharkhand, and Supaul and Madhepura seats in Bihar has further added to the woes of the Mahagathbandhan.

On the contrary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shared the stage often with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan during campaigning in the state.

BJP state president Nityanand Rai stated that while Rahul Gandhi was attending a rally in Supaul, Tejashwi Yadav was also campaigning nearby. "Then why two leaders were not campaigning together," he asked.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi too questioned the equation among the members of grand alliance in the state.

Polling was held in Bihar in the first two phases and will continue to be held in each of the remaining five phases of the Lok Sabha elections till May 19. The counting of votes will begin on May 23.