Pappu Yadav urges Congress to ditch RJD, go solo in Bihar

Ahead of the assembly polls in Bihar, Independent MP Pappu Yadav suggested on Monday that Congress should go alone in the next state polls. In Bihar, the grand old party contested elections with RJD and the Left parties.

"I think it's Congress which has to decide, if Congress decides to go alone, I can guarantee that all 'shops' will be closed," said Yadav, who joined Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections but contested Independently from Purnea after the seat went to RJD. 

When asked whether Congress can go solo at a time when it has become a central force of the INDIA alliance, Yadav said the Lok Sabha and the state assembly have different politics. He said the state can't expect any new option as long as the Congress is with the RJD.

"By the time Congress is in alliance with RJD, personally, I feel that we can't expect a new option. People are expecting a new option, and see Congress as a party beyond caste and religion."

Speaking on Prashant Kishor's entry into politics, the Purnea MP said the poll strategist had collected retired people such as DM and SP who have looted the state. "These big liquor and sand mafias who won't get a ticket anywhere will join Prashant," he said, suggesting Kishor's entry won't make any difference in the state. 

In the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress contested polls with RJD, CPI-ML, CPI-M, CPI, and the Vikassheel Insaan Party. The RJD won 4 of the 23 seats it contested, while Congress bagged 3 of 9. Together, the INDIA alliance bagged 9 of 40 seats in Bihar, 8 higher from 2019. 

In the 2020 assembly polls, the RJD contested 144 seats and won 75, while Congress fought on 70 seats but could win just 19.