Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar: A Visible Snub

Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar: Bihar Bandh Rally Incident: A Visible Snub?

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In the ever-evolving landscape of Bihar politics, Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar, a rising Congress youth leader and former JNU student union president, have been in the spotlight for a series of dramatic developments. Both leaders have carved distinct political paths, but recent events have placed them in the same frame—visibly marginalised at a high-profile rally organised by the INDIA bloc (an opposition alliance), raising questions about intra-alliance dynamics and future ambitions.

Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar: Bihar Bandh Rally Incident

The most widely circulated footage from the Bihar Bandh protest march in Patna featured a moment that encapsulates both symbolism and strategy: Pappu Yadav and Kanhaiya Kumar were prevented from climbing onto the campaign vehicle that carried Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav.

Security officials and organizers allegedly stopped both leaders from joining the top brass on the open jeep, despite their active participation in the protest. While the official explanation pointed to security concerns and crowd management, the message was not lost on political observers—access to the “chariot” of leadership was tightly controlled, and some leaders, despite their mass appeal or rhetorical firepower, were kept at a distance.

Pappu Yadav was visibly upset and later expressed frustration at being sidelined, despite “sacrificing everything for the people of Bihar.” Kanhaiya Kumar, equally miffed, did not publicly criticize the move but left the event without delivering a speech, a silence many interpret as deliberate.

Pappu Yadav: Outsider Within the Alliance?

Pappu Yadav has long had a turbulent relationship with the political establishment. Once an MP from Madhepura and known for his firebrand style, he has often operated independently. After merging his Jan Adhikar Party with the Congress in 2024, he hoped for greater legitimacy and coordination. However, the transition hasn’t been smooth.

He has taken strong positions against both the BJP and the Nitish Kumar-led JDU, especially criticizing administrative corruption and the BPSC normalization controversy that sparked statewide protests by students and aspirants. Recently, he got into a public altercation with a BJP MLA over the demolition of Dalit homes in Purnia—a move he claims was “sponsored by political mafias” colluding with state machinery.

Despite these ground-level efforts, his absence on key platforms—like the Patna rally stage—suggests he is yet to be accepted fully into the opposition alliance’s inner circle.

Kanhaiya Kumar: Rising Star or Political Disruptor?

Kanhaiya Kumar, on the other hand, represents the Congress party’s push to inject fresh, intellectual, and youth-centric energy into its Bihar unit. Once a CPI candidate in Begusarai and now firmly with the Congress, he has undertaken a statewide campaign “Palayan Roko, Naukri Do” (Stop Migration, Give Jobs). This yatra has taken him through remote and urban regions alike, aiming to highlight unemployment, caste census delays, and job scams.

However, his assertiveness has not gone down well with allies. Some RJD leaders see his rise as a threat to their dominance over the youth and backward-caste vote base. Recently, during his yatra in Araria, private security guards clashed with Congress workers over stage access, forcing Kanhaiya to leave mid-way—a chaotic moment that mirrored the Patna episode days later.

In Saharsa, after his temple visit, locals washed the premises with Ganga water, suggesting discomfort or disapproval rooted in either political or ideological bias. Critics saw this as a casteist snub, while others called it political theatre.

Moreover, an FIR was lodged against Kanhaiya in Patna, accusing him of making derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Modi and the RSS. While the Congress has defended him, some believe this FIR might be used to limit his outreach ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. 

Common Threads: Marginalization and Mobilization

Despite differing styles—Pappu’s populism vs. Kanhaiya’s intellectualism—both leaders share certain parallels:

  • Both are trying to break into the core leadership circles of Bihar’s opposition.
  • Both have faced resistance from within the alliance—either from dominant parties like RJD or from their own party structures.
  • Both appeal to large sections of Bihar’s youth and marginalized, making them strategically important but politically inconvenient.

Their sidelining at the Bihar Bandh march may reflect deeper tensions: ideological differences, fear of overshadowing senior leaders, or calculated gatekeeping to maintain existing power hierarchies.

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