The tug-of-war between the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar was inevitable, given the asymmetric nature of their alliance. The new generation of political leaders are no longer happy with the status quo; RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav is attempting to expand beyond his Muslim-Yadav vote base, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi doesn’t want to play second fiddle to the regional partner. Unfortunately for both, the cracks have appeared on the eve of elections.

The personal chemistry between Gandhi and Yadav does not mirror that of Sonia Gandhi and Lalu Yadav because there is a distinct element of rivalry between the two dynasts. But the basic issue is a conflict of interest. The RJD’s ticket distribution has made it clear that Yadav is eyeing not just the numerically superior

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