Patna:

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Bihar as we speak, a day after his social gathering went from being part of the state’s ruling coalition to the Opposition, because of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s fifth flip-flop in a decade.

Mr Gandhi’s yatra, a determined try by the Congress to rally assist forward of Lok Sabha polls, began at Manipur on January 14. After travelling via the Northeast, it reached Bengal on Thursday earlier than Mr Gandhi took a break and flew to Delhi.

When Mr Gandhi boarded the airplane to Delhi, the Congress was a part of the Mahagathbandhan authorities in Bihar led by Mr Kumar. As he resumes the yatra after a two-day break, Mr Kumar is in the identical submit, however his new companions are BJP and the Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha.

The yatra began in Sonapur in Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district this morning and reached Kishanganj in Bihar round 11 am. A Muslim-dominated space, the Kishanganj Lok Sabha constituency has been with the Congress for the reason that 2009 Lok Sabha election. The rally will transfer to Purnea tomorrow and Katihar the day after. Each districts are JDU strongholds and when the yatra began, it was pleasant territory for the Congress. Now, the equations have modified.

That is Mr Gandhi’s first go to to Bihar for the reason that 2020 Meeting election. The 2020 election was adopted by NDA alliance forming the federal government beneath Mr Kumar. Two years later, in August 2022, Mr Kumar walked out of the NDA alliance and reunited with estranged allies RJD and Congress. Yesterday, he made one other flip-flop, teaming up with NDA once more.

Leaders of the state Congress mentioned the social gathering’s alliance companions in Bihar, RJD and CPI(ML)-L, have been invited to the Purnea rally.

Through the public addresses through the Bihar leg of the Yatra, Mr Gandhi is more likely to goal Mr Kumar over his newest volte-face. The Congress has reacted strongly to the Bihar reversal, with social gathering president Mallikarjun Kharge referring to Mr Kumar as “aaya ram gaya ram” – a time period used for politicians who hold altering sides.

The JDU, on its half, has accused the Congress of making an attempt to hijack the INDIA platform. In his first remarks after resigning as Chief Minister, Mr Kumar, who was on the forefront of the formation of the Opposition bloc, mentioned issues weren’t shifting within the INDIA bloc. Senior JDU chief KC Tyagi mentioned the alliance ended due to the Congress’s vanity.

After Bihar, the yatra is scheduled to re-enter Bengal earlier than continuing to Jharkhand. The march will finish at Mumbai in March.