Patna, Jan 18: Even as Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha has a packed schedule during his visit to Patna on Saturday, political circles are abuzz with speculation whether Rahul Gandhi will meet the RJD supremo during this trip.

LoP Gandhi is scheduled to participate in two key events on Saturday, the Constitution Security Conference at the Bapu Auditorium and an address to party workers at the Congress headquarters, Sadakat Ashram.

His visit comes after the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, making it notable for its timing and political implications. For political observers, the central question revolves around whether the two leaders will meet.

Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rahul Gandhi have shared a close political alliance, especially in the context of the Opposition coalition formed to counter the BJP at the national level.

LoP Rahul Gandhi’s last visit to Patna on June 23, 2023, was instrumental in solidifying the Opposition’s joint strategy, alongside Lalu Prasad and other prominent leaders.

This makes any potential meeting between the two during this tour a matter of political curiosity and significance.

The Congress MP’s visit to Patna is taking place at a politically dynamic moment, coinciding with the National Executive meeting of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) at Hotel Maurya, where key decisions, including contesting the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections under Tejashwi Yadav’s leadership, may be announced.

This convergence of major events highlights the delicate interplay of relationships within the Opposition’s coalition politics.

The Congress-RJD relationship has traversed a bitter-sweet journey since 1998.

While Lalu Prasad initially emerged as a staunch critic of the Congress, the two parties formed an enduring partnership after the 2000 Bihar Assembly elections, eventually strengthening their alliance in the UPA-1 government, where Lalu Yadav was one of the most influential ministers.

Over the years, despite occasional tensions, the bond between the Congress and RJD has been characterised by moments of mutual trust and collaboration.

Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad Yadav, in particular, have shared a cordial and often warm relationship.

Notable examples include the first meeting of the INDIA bloc in Patna on June 23, 2023, where Lalu offered to “attend Rahul Gandhi’s wedding procession,” humorously emphasising their camaraderie.

On September 2, 2023, the viral image of Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav cooking Champaran Mutton at Misa Bharti’s residence in Delhi showcased their informal rapport.

Despite the foundation of the INDIA bloc being laid in Patna as a united Opposition to the NDA, the 2024 Lok Sabha election results exposed cracks within the alliance.

Rhetoric among member parties, including the RJD and Congress, has highlighted differences.

Tejashwi Yadav’s statement that the INDIA bloc was only formed for the Lok Sabha elections raised doubts about its future in Bihar.

The RJD’s support for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi Assembly elections further signaled fissures within the coalition.

As a result, questions about the durability of the Opposition alliance in Bihar and at the national level are now at the forefront.

Rahul Gandhi’s official itinerary suggests that his visit is primarily focussed on addressing the Constitution Security Conference at Bapu Auditorium and meeting Congress workers at Sadakat Ashram. However, what will happen on the sidelines, remains to be seen.

Kolkata, Jan 18: Amid apprehensions and hope, a special court in Kolkata will be delivering the verdict within a few hours in the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata within the hospital premises in August last year.

On one hand, the parents of the victim are apprehending that their quest for justice for their daughter will be limited to conviction and sentencing of the “sole prime accused” in the case Sanjay Ray, an erstwhile civic volunteer attached to Kolkata Police, thus allowing the conspirators involved in “tampering” and “altering” of the evidence in the matter, to remain behind the curtains forever.

On the other hand, the hope of many representatives of civil society is that while pronouncing the sentence for the sole prime accused, at least the special court should make some observations on the “evidence tampering and altering” aspect, that might open up a new line of investigation on these lines.

Already the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which just filed one charge sheet in the matter identifying Sanjay Ray as the sole prime accused in the crime of rape and murder, is in the line of fire of the victim’s parents and a section of the civil society, who suspect the role of some “invisible hand” in pulling the strings of the CBI in the case.

On this issue, the CBI is portrayed as a villain because of its failure in filing a supplementary charge sheet against the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar, Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal, both accused of tampering and altering the evidence, within 90 days of their arrest, following which both were granted “default bail” by the same special court.

Now all eyes will be on the proceedings of the special court in the second half on Saturday, when the verdict will be pronounced leaving the field open for further debates on whether “justice is granted” or “justice is denied” for ‘Abhaya (the fearless)’ the woman doctor who has been named such by the public.

New Delhi, Jan 18: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha (LoP), Rahul Gandhi will visit Patna, Bihar on Saturday to participate in the ‘Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan’ and attend a Congress workers’ meeting.

This marks his first visit to Bihar after assuming the LoP role in the Lok Sabha.

The Congress party has made extensive preparations for the visit, with the Sadaqat Ashram, the party’s state headquarters, being beautifully decorated to welcome the Congress leader.

Bihar Congress President Akhilesh Prasad Singh expressed that party workers are excited about the former party chief’s arrival, and the atmosphere is charged with enthusiasm.

A meeting on Thursday, attended by prominent party leaders, including AICC in-charge Mohan Prakash and state President Akhilesh Prasad Singh, finalised the plans for the visit.

Congress MLA Shakeel Ahmad Khan confirmed that party workers from across Bihar would converge in Patna for the event, including the workers’ conference and the ‘Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan’.

The event, to be held at Bapu Sabhagar, is part of a series of nationwide conclaves Rahul Gandhi has been leading, aimed at emphasising the need to protect the Constitution and targeting the ruling BJP.

During his visit, the Congress MP will also interact with party workers and leaders, as well as engage with social organisations, a continuation of his focus on connecting with grassroots movements, seen during his ‘Jodo Nyay Yatra’.

Additionally, he is expected to meet with representatives of BPSC candidates who have been protesting against the recent question paper leak and demanding the cancellation of the examination.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit will also include the inauguration of the newly constructed staff quarters and a refurbished auditorium at the Congress state headquarters in Sadaqat Ashram.

BJP leader and Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey responded to Rahul Gandhi’s visit with a sarcastic remark, claiming that the public and even his own party take little notice of his travels, hinting at internal factionalism within the Congress.