Pappu Yadav, the chief of the Jan Adhikar Party, officially joined the Congress on Wednesday and merged his party with the grand old party at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi.
This move follows a meeting between the Bihar leader and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav the previous day, sparking speculation about a potential realignment with the party that supported him in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, fielding him from Madhepura.
After joining the Congress, Pappu Yadav commended Rahul Gandhi for his yatra. "Rahul Gandhi has struggled the most in this world, especially at a time when digital media has taken over most of the hard work, he walked for more than 4000 km in extreme temperatures. The respect which I have received and the faith put in me and my party by Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi are enough to keep me going. Rahul Gandhi has awakened the consciousness of 130 crore people of India."
The Election Commission of India declared on Saturday that Lok Sabha elections in Bihar would occur in seven phases. The first phase of polling is scheduled for April 19, followed by subsequent phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. Bihar, with 40 Lok Sabha constituencies, ranks as the fourth-highest in terms of constituencies among all states and union territories, underscoring its significant role in shaping Indian politics.