New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) Reacting strongly to comments made by Purnea MP Pappu Yadav during a Congress meeting in Delhi, senior leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have reaffirmed their support for Tejashwi Yadav as the face of the Mahagathbandhan in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

RJD MP Sudhakar Singh emphasised the unity within the Opposition alliance and dismissed attempts to create confusion over leadership.

“All parties will contest the elections together, and preparations for the campaign at every level are nearly complete. Just one or two statements won’t solve Bihar’s core issues. This is a fight to save Bihar, not a fight to capture power,” Singh said.

“Whoever supports the Mahagathbandhan will always be welcomed by us. But if someone tries to create confusion, then we will certainly not welcome that,” he added, in an apparent reference to Pappu Yadav’s comments.

Pappu Yadav, an Independent MP, had stirred controversy by suggesting that Congress leaders Rajesh Ram and Tariq Anwar could be potential chief ministerial candidates from the Mahagathbandhan.

This contradicts the RJD’s position, which has long projected Tejashwi Yadav as its undisputed chief ministerial face.

RJD chief spokesperson Shakti Yadav responded with strong words.

On Pappu Yadav attending the Congress strategy meeting, he remarked, “What’s he doing in our courtyard? The Mahagathbandhan parties are united under Tejashwi ji’s leadership. We don’t take seriously the remarks of someone who is just a special invitee to another party.”

When asked whether the Congress should avoid inviting Pappu Yadav to its meetings, he said: “Our tradition is to respect anyone who comes to our door. But how long can you keep entertaining someone? He doesn’t even have a party. He’s an Independent MP. His statements are often indirectly helpful to the BJP.”

He concluded by reaffirming the RJD’s position, “Tejashwi ji is the accepted leader of Bihar. One person’s comments change nothing.”

Pappu Yadav had earlier met Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at the party headquarters in Delhi.

His comments post-meeting, hinting that Congress had multiple CM candidates, triggered unease within the RJD camp, which views such statements as a challenge to alliance discipline and clarity.

–IANS

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