Pappu Yadav, Kanhaiya Kumar were not allowed on the chariot of Rahul, Tejashwi during the protest in Patna.

Patna, July 9, 2025: While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPI-ML), and Mukesh Sahani (VIP), led a massive protest in Patna on Wednesday against the ongoing voter list revision, Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who had merged his Jan Adhikar Party with Congress before the Lok Sabha elections, was pushed away by security personnel when he tried to board Rahul Gandhi’s chariot.

Congress youth leader Kanhaiya Kumar faced a similar situation, despite holding the Congress flag and attempting to join the senior leadership during the protest march from Income Tax Square to the Election Commission office.

Pappu Yadav first announced the Chakka Jam:

Purnea MP had first announced a statewide Chakka Jam against the voter list revision, alleging a plot to disenfranchise the poor.

Congress and RJD later took over the call, rebranding it as Bihar Bandh under the Mahagathbandhan banner.

Despite merging his party with Congress to secure a Lok Sabha ticket from Purnea, Pappu Yadav was denied a ticket, with the RJD fielding Bima Bharti instead.

Defying the alliance, Pappu Yadav contested as an independent and defeated Bima Bharti.

Since then, Pappu Yadav has repeatedly asserted his commitment to Congress, but the party has kept him at arm’s length.

Wednesday’s incident highlighted that neither the Congress nor the RJD leadership was willing to give Pappu Yadav or Kanhaiya Kumar visible prominence in the protest despite their grassroots clout.

The core issue:

The Mahagathbandhan alleges that the Election Commission’s special voter list revision is being used to selectively remove the names of poor, Dalit, and minority voters, accusing the Centre and the Bihar government of misusing the process for electoral gains.

Rahul Gandhi’s brief two-hour visit, high-security chariot march, and the sidelining of local leaders like Pappu Yadav reflect the alliance’s optics-centric approach, prioritizing central leadership over local figures.

Also Read: MP Pappu Yadav calls for Bihar Bandh on January 12 to support BPSC agitation.

EOM.