INDIA bloc parties united at rallies, divided in elections: JD-U

JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad speaks to the media on November 1, 2026. (Photo: X/@PTI_News) The Janata Dal (United) on Sunday (November 1, 2026) questioned the unity of opposition parties at the INDIA bloc rally here, saying they come together for rallies and meetings but contest elections against each other.The party asserted that an alliance without consensus on leadership, common agenda and issues has no justification to continue.Keep track: ‘Chalo Dilli’ protests: Rahul Gandhi assures ‘legal action against PM Modi’; Kharge says ‘we’re not afraid to fight’ | LIVEJD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad told PTI that the Congress must understand the people's mandate and respect democratic processes, reacting to the "Modi hatao, loktantra bachao" slogan raised at the rally."Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received the people's mandate for a third consecutive term. On the other hand, the people have given the Congress the mandate to sit in the opposition. The Congress must understand the essence of this mandate and respect democratic processes," he said.His remarks came after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, addressing the rally on the alleged "vote chori", accused the BJP governments at the Centre and in Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh of being formed on "stolen" mandates and called for removing PM Modi to save democracy.At the rally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also warned that Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will face legal action over alleged vote theft, while asserting that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will be removed from his post and face imprisonment for "treason" in the future.VIDEO | On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's speech at the INDIA bloc rally, JD(U) leader Rajeev Ranjan says, "He did not mention the results in Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh or Kerala, nor did he raise questions about them. He spoke about Bihar, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and West Bengal, wherever they are losing... People are no longer taking the allegations made by the Congress and its alliance partners very seriously." (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/bIyFWTfmBd)— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 1, 2026Reacting to the Congress' allegations, Mr. Prasad said Gandhi is undermining his own political relevance and blamed his leadership for the party's declining political fortunes."Rahul Gandhi is undermining his own political relevance. Under his leadership, a large national party like the Congress has shrunk to such a position that its return to the mainstream will not be easy," he said.Questioning the cohesion among INDIA bloc constituents, Mr. Prasad said opposition parties come together at rallies and meetings but fight against each other during elections."These parties come together at rallies and meetings but contest elections against each other. There are several examples...the Congress and the RJD contested against each other in eight Bihar Legislative Council seats," he said.He also pointed to the electoral contest between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab when the latter was part of the INDIA bloc.Prasad further cited the longstanding electoral rivalry between the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala."These fronts are also considered part of the INDIA bloc. If there is no agreement on leadership, programmes or common issues, there is no justification for such an alliance to continue," he said.On Kharge's allegation that the Bihar mandate was "stolen", Prasad said the people have endorsed the combination of JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar's leadership and Prime Minister Modi's popularity."The extraordinary achievements of then chief minister and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar over his 20 years in office, coupled with the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were wholeheartedly accepted by the people of Bihar. They gave the alliance a massive mandate of more than 200 seats. The Congress was reduced to just around half a dozen seats," he said.He said it was unfortunate that the Congress is trying to malign the Bihar mandate and urged the party to introspect."If the Congress now tries to malign the Bihar mandate, nothing could be more unfortunate. The Congress must understand the people's mood. If it fails to do so and is unwilling to introspect, it remains to be seen whether it will even retain the position of Leader of Opposition over the next 50 years," he said. Published - November 01, 2026 07:39 pm IST