Bihar: Congress announces support to Grand Alliance stir against price rise

Estranged from the Opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar, the Congress on Saturday, however, announced its support to statewide protests proposed by the RJD-led coalition against price rise under the NDA rule at the Centre. BPCC president Madan Mohan Jha directed party workers to extend support to demonstrations which are scheduled across all districts on Sunday, when Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav will himself lead the ‘Pratirodh March’ (protest march) in the state capital.

Notably, Congress was the second-largest constituent of the Grand Alliance until by-elections to a couple of assembly seats last year when it strongly protested the short shrift given by the RJD and threatened to go it alone in the next Lok Sabha elections.

It was not clear from Jha’s letter whether the Congress’ support will be only in principle or its rank and file will be hitting the streets alongside estranged allies.

The RJD, a UPA ally, has been maintaining that it will continue to support the Congress nationally, though a section of leaders in the grand old party in Bihar complain of patronising treatment by Yadav and his father Lalu Prasad, who is known to share excellent personal equations with Sonia Gandhi.

At the RJD office here, a gigantic poster announcing the ‘Pratirodh March’ has been put up. Yadav’s photograph occupies centrestage beside smaller images of Prasad, Gandhi and leaders of the Left.