Pappu Yadav (ANI photo)
NEW DELHI: Independent MP Pappu Yadav on Thursday once again expressed his discontent over Tejashwi Yadav being considered as the potential chief ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan, despite having supported the alliance. He firmly said, “voting will be done on Rahul Gandhi’s picture.”His remarks come ahead of a key Mahagathbandhan press conference, in which RJD, the largest constituent, is supported by the Congress. The venue, Maurya Hotel in Patna, featured posters solely of RJD scion Tejashwi Yadav, fuelling speculation that he may be declared the alliance’s CM candidate.Pappu Yadav has repeatedly voiced his reluctance to endorse Tejashwi as the face of the opposition bloc challenging long-serving Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Speaking to ANI, he criticised the alliance’s posters for not featuring Rahul Gandhi, saying, “Voting will be done on Rahul Gandhi’s picture only and not on anyone else’s picture… Pictures of all three leaders of the alliance should have been there. This is not right, and it will not send the right message… We can win Bihar only on the face of Rahul Gandhi. We have not other way to win here…”He also extended an olive branch to Nitish Kumar, alleging, “BJP is stabbing him from behind.” He added, “BJP is finishing him. Our leaders have always respected him. He is being stabbed from behind, but we have a lot of respect for him…” Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi avoided answering a media question on Mahagathbandhan’s possible CM face in Bihar, highlighting the tension — or as some call it, “friendly fights” — between the Mahagathbandhan’s two largest parties, RJD and Congress.The discussion over Tejashwi’s name has intensified ahead of the Mahagathbandhan’s official declaration. Bihar is scheduled for two-phase polling on November 6 and November 11, with counting set for November 14.