Grand Alliance Unveils Bihar Manifesto — Visuals Steal the Spotlight

Grand Alliance’s Bihar Manifesto Release Rekindles Debate Over Congress-RJD Power Equation.

The Grand Alliance in Bihar has managed to outpace the NDA by releasing its election manifesto ahead of time — but instead of policy promises, it’s the visuals on the document that have stirred political debate.

The manifesto’s cover page prominently showcases Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appears only as a small thumbnail in one corner. The design choice has reignited questions about the Congress’s diminishing clout within the opposition bloc.

This is not the first time such optics have raised eyebrows. When the Grand Alliance earlier named Tejashwi Yadav its chief ministerial candidate, Rahul Gandhi’s absence from campaign posters prompted sharp taunts from the BJP.

“Joint press conference but only one picture. Rahul Gandhi and Congress ka ‘samman chori’ — RJD showed Congress its place,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla had posted on X. He alleged that the RJD “bullied” the Congress into backing Tejashwi Yadav, even threatening to deny the party any seats if it resisted.

The alliance has also struggled to finalise seat-sharing arrangements, with both the Congress and RJD fielding candidates separately in several constituencies — a move that hints at friction beneath the surface.

Congress leaders, however, have brushed off the criticism. Senior party spokesperson Pawan Khera said Rahul Gandhi’s smaller presence in campaign material was irrelevant since he is not the CM candidate. “Poster politics doesn’t resonate with young voters in Bihar,” Khera argued, insisting that the focus should remain on issues, not images.

Tejashwi Yadav, too, maintained that differences between the allies were being overplayed, explaining that overlapping candidates in some seats were part of a “strategic call” based on local dynamics.

While the Grand Alliance hopes its early manifesto release will set the tone for the election season, the visual prominence of Tejashwi Yadav over Rahul Gandhi once again underscores the shifting power balance within the coalition — and offers fresh ammunition to political rivals.