Shah Acknowledged Rahul As A Leader, Says JDU National General Secy

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) on Thursday claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah did a climbdown on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a rally in Lakhisarai district.

Shah told the rally that in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, people will choose between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. He, however, mocked Rahul as "a leader Congress has been trying to launch unsuccessfully for the past 20 years."

Addressing a press conference soon after the rally, JD(U) national general secretary and spokesman Rajib Ranjan said, "Shah ended up acknowledging Rahul Gandhi as the leader of the joint opposition which took shape in last week's meeting here hosted by Kumar. So far, the BJP had been refusing to accept Rahul was a leader".

The JD(U) had walked out of the BJP-led NDA last year and joined the Mahagathbandhan, which includes the Congress, besides the RJD and the Left.

Ranjan, who was with BJP till December last year, also claimed he found Shah "nervous to a degree I have never seen in the last nine years".

JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh "Lalan", in whose Munger Lok Sabha constituency Lakhisarai falls, also came out with a tweet alleging that the home minister gave credit to the Narendra Modi government for many projects in Bihar, which were fully funded by the state government.

RJD spokesman Mrityunjay Tiwari said, "opposition unity has left the BJP scared. Amit Shah made repeated appeals to people to vote for Modi again. But the crowd at the rally remained indifferent to his rhetoric".

Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh came out with a statement accusing Shah of "trying to disturb communal harmony on a day Bakrid festival is being celebrated".

In his nearly 25 minutes long speech, Shah had touched upon construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya, abrogation of Article 370 and Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, issues which the BJP is accused of using as dog whistles, by its political opponents.

The Congress leader also alleged, "after setting Manipur on fire, the home minister came to Bihar, unmindful of the fact that his game was not going to succeed here".

- With PTI Input