"SC, ST will vote for us... Bihar public eager to vote for INDI alliance as they want to form new government": Papu Yadav

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 22 (ANI): Ahead of the Bihar elections, Independent MP Papu Yadav from Purnea expressed confidence that backward communities, as well as SC and ST voters, will support the INDI alliance in the upcoming state elections.

Speaking to ANI, Yadav added that the public is eager to vote for the INDI alliance, as they want to see a new government, and that the INDI alliance has the "biggest ideological leader", Rahul Gandhi.
"The public is eager to vote for the INDI alliance... They want to form a new government... We have the biggest ideological leader, Rahul Gandhi, we will fight the elections under his leadership... When we fight the elections under his leadership, the people of the backward community, SC, ST will vote for us... Elections should not be fought on any CM face, this will not be good for the INDI alliance... You can make anyone the Chief Minister after the elections, but before the elections, the face should be Rahul Gandhi..." Yadav told ANI.

The Purnea MP also said the alliance did not give tickets to any candidate with a criminal record.
"Our leader did not give a ticket to any bahubali, mafia, chargesheeter... There is no place for any bahubali, mafia, chargesheeter in the Congress party...," added Yadav.
"...You make anyone the Chief Minister after the elections. The Chief Minister is not going to be from the Congress party, it will be from the RJD or some other party...Our leaders will decide it after the elections. There's no point in it before the elections...."...There is no meaning of a friendly fight...We left many seats...Our leader did not allow us a friendly fight...The entire state of Bihar is standing in support of the INDIA alliance due to the perception of our leader..." Yadav added,
Meanwhile, Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh admitted to a "tussle" within the Mahagathbandhan during ticket distribution for the Bihar Assembly elections, saying it had sent a wrong message to the public.
"I don't deny that there indeed has been a little mess-up. The manner in which there was a tussle over the distribution of tickets has indeed sent a wrong message," Akhilesh Prasad Singh told ANI, while replying to a question related to Mahagathbandhan allies facing each other on 12 seats.
He added that the issue should be resolved immediately, as there is no friendly fight in elections, and said the Congress high command would address and resolve it.
The 2025 Bihar Elections will have the primary contest between the National Democratic Alliance and the Mahagathbandhan.
The NDA comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
The Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal, includes the Congress Party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML), led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).
Polling for the Bihar 2025 elections will be held on November 6 and 11, and the results will be declared on November 14. (ANI)