Ignored for months by Congress, Pappu Yadav back on party’s high table

The party, after months of hesitation, has named the Purnea MP among its star campaigners for the Bihar Assembly elections, signalling a decisive political embrace ahead of a high-stakes contest.

The move marks a complete turnaround in the party’s relationship with Yadav, which has long swung between affection and avoidance.

Pappu Yadav merged his Jan Adhikar Party with the Congress earlier this year in Delhi, but the state unit refused to recognise him as one of its own.

Leaders dismissed his visit as a “courtesy call” and steered clear of granting him membership. When the Purnea seat went to the RJD under the alliance deal, Yadav rebelled and contested as an Independent candidate. He went on to defeat RJD’s Bima Bharti, forcing the Congress to take note of his political heft.

For much of the year, the Congress avoided giving him any official space. He was denied entry to the stage at two major party events and also kept away from Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’.

But things have finally changed with the alliance structure settled and Tejashwi Yadav leading the joint campaign. The Congress appears to be asserting its independent presence in Bihar and sees Pappu Yadav as its loudest voice.

The party’s latest list of 40 star campaigners includes national heavyweights like Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. But the inclusion of Pappu Yadav, along with his wife and sitting Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan, stands out as a signal of realignment.

While Pappu Yadav has long been with the party, this is his first official induction as a recognised Congress face.

For the Congress, the calculation is pragmatic. Pappu Yadav commands a loyal base across Seemanchal and Kosi, regions crucial to any serious revival in the state.

His influence among Yadavs, Muslims, Dalits and extremely backward classes gives the party a bridge to communities where it has lost ground over decades.

The Congress, once dominant in Bihar, lost its leadership depth after Lalu Prasad Yadav’s rise in the 1990s. Since then, it has lacked a local face who can draw crowds and challenge regional players. By bringing Pappu Yadav on board, the party is attempting to fill that vacuum with a leader known for his grassroots connect and unfiltered style.

The decision also reflects a strategic flexibility the Congress has often shown, distancing itself when alliances demand restraint, and embracing potential allies when the ground situation changes.