In a surprising departure from political rhetoric, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav engaged in a playful conversation about marriage during a joint press conference in Bihar on Sunday. The exchange came as the two leaders were on the eighth day of their “Voter Adhikar Yatra,” a protest march against alleged irregularities in the state’s electoral rolls.
The banter was initiated by Tejashwi Yadav, who, when asked about Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan, advised his “elder brother” to “get married as soon as possible.” Without missing a beat, Rahul Gandhi, who was seated next to him, chimed in with a smile, saying, “That applies to me as well.”
The lighthearted moment continued when Tejashwi remarked that his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, had been saying the same thing for a long time. Rahul laughed and replied, “Yes, talks are going on.” This wasn’t the first time the topic had come up between the two families. At a press conference two years ago, Lalu Prasad Yadav had also publicly urged Rahul to get married.
The conversation provided a brief respite from the serious political discussions of the day. Earlier, the two leaders had resumed their Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar’s Purnea district, even riding motorcycles together as part of the march. The yatra, which will cover 1,300 km across 20 districts and conclude in Patna on September 1, is a protest against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
During the press conference in Araria, Rahul Gandhi launched a strong attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP, accusing them of a “partnership” to “steal votes.” Tejashwi Yadav echoed this sentiment, calling the ECI the “Godi Commission” and claiming its credibility has been destroyed at the ground level. Both leaders asserted that the Opposition would not allow the elections in Bihar to be “stolen.”