Mahagathbandhan no longer exists: Giriraj Singh as Tejashwi Yadav begins yatra sans Rahul Gandhi

Patna, Sep 16 (IANS) As RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav prepares to embark on his 'Bihar Adhikar Yatra' from Jehanabad on Tuesday, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh has asserted that the Mahagathbandhan has effectively collapsed, pointing to the absence of Congress leaders, including Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, from the march.

Speaking to IANS, Singh said, "Tejashwi Yadav should hide in a corner and cry. Tejashwi declared himself a Chief Ministerial candidate while Rahul Gandhi kept mum and did not utter a word."

"Maybe, he (Rahul Gandhi) does not want Tejashwi to be the CM. Both think of each other as corrupt; there is no alliance between them anymore," he added.

In earlier campaigns, including the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' held in Bihar, Tejashwi and Rahul Gandhi marched together alongside several other Opposition leaders. However, this time the RJD leader will travel alone, covering districts that Rahul Gandhi skipped during his 1,500-km journey across 25 out of 38 districts in Bihar.

Giriraj Singh's remarks have fuelled speculation of a widening rift between the RJD and the Congress after Rahul Gandhi refrained from naming Tejashwi Yadav as the Mahagathbandhan's Chief Ministerial face.

The RJD, however, has clarified that the Bihar Adhikar Yatra is not about Tejashwi's political ambitions but about issues such as unemployment and law and order situation in the state.

According to the party's statement, Tejashwi will begin the yatra from Jehanabad and, in the first phase, traverse through NDA strongholds such as Nalanda, the home district of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and Begusarai, the parliamentary constituency of Giriraj Singh.

The first phase will conclude in Vaishali on September 20 and cover districts including Patna, Khagaria, Madhepura, Supaul, Saharsa and Samastipur.

Tejashwi Yadav's own constituency, Raghopur, falls in the Vaishali district.

Mahua, also in Vaishali, from where Tejashwi's elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav was once an MLA, will feature in the itinerary as well. Tej Pratap has already announced his intention to contest from Mahua again, despite being expelled from the RJD.

--IANS

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