News Desk
24 August 2025, 06:05 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi humorously added himself to the list, sparking laughter when he quipped ‘talks are going on’ about his own marriage prospects
Rahul Gandhi | Photo: PTI
Bihar: In a rare break from sharp political exchanges, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav lightened the mood during a press conference in Bihar on Sunday with playful remarks about marriage.
When asked about Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan, Tejashwi responded, “Chirag Paswan is not today’s issue… nor is the public asking about him… But we would definitely advise Chirag Paswan that he is elder brother to me, he should get married as soon as possible.”
Rahul, seated beside him, quickly joined in with a smile, saying, “That applies to me as well.”
Tejashwi then quipped, “Papa (Lalu Yadav) has been saying this for a long time.” To which Rahul laughed and replied, “Yes, talks are going on.”
The indirect reference was to a press conference held in Patna two years ago, hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was then trying to bring together leaders from across the country to defeat the BJP.
Prasad, known for his penchant for banter, had said “We would urge Rahul Gandhi to get married. It has been a fervent wish of his mother (Sonia Gandhi). We want to see him as ‘dulha’ (groom) and join the ‘baraat’ (wedding procession)”.
Why were they in Bihar?
The lighter moment came as the two leaders resumed their Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar’s Purnea district earlier in the day. They were seen riding motorcycles as part of the march, which Opposition parties are using to protest against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
What did Rahul Gandhi say about the Election Commission?
Addressing the media in Araria, Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He said, “In Bihar, SIR is an institutionalised way for vote theft. Lakhs of voters’ names were deleted; the Opposition is complaining, but the BJP has not complained even once because there is a partnership between the Election Commission, the Election Commissioner and the BJP.”
He further declared that the Opposition would not allow elections in Bihar to be “stolen.”
Echoing Rahul’s words, Tejashwi Yadav accused the poll panel of openly favouring the BJP.
He said, “Election Commission has become ‘Godi Commission’ now and is working like the BJP’s cell. Rahul Gandhi and I have embarked on this Yatra to save democracy, the Constitution and the right to vote. On the ground level, even in villages, EC’s credibility is over.”
The 16-day yatra will cover 1,300 km across 20 districts of Bihar and is scheduled to conclude in Patna on 1 September. Opposition leaders have repeatedly alleged that the SIR is nothing but an attempt at “vote chori.”
(With agency inputs)
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