Congress keeps Telangana leaders off Bihar campaign after Revanth’s ‘Bihari DNA’ remark backfires

The decision comes as a surprise since the Chief Minister, along with several Telangana Congress leaders, had actively participated in the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar in August

Hyderabad: Following the backlash over Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s remarks on ‘Bihari DNA’, the Congress high command has excluded Telangana Ministers and senior leaders from the list of star campaigners for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections.

The elections will be held in two phases, the first covering 121 constituencies on November 6, and the second covering 122 constituencies on November 11.

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The decision comes as a surprise since the Chief Minister, along with several Telangana Congress leaders, had actively participated in the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar in August, which was led by Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.

However, the controversy over Revanth Reddy’s earlier comments on ‘Bihari DNA’ sparked sharp criticism across political circles in Bihar. Leaders from different parties condemned his remarks, with Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor launching a scathing attack on the Chief Minister. Kishor not only questioned Revanth Reddy’s political stature but also accused him of arrogance. “If the DNA of Biharis is inferior, why did he seek their support? Even Rahul Gandhi will not be able to save Revanth Reddy,” Kishor said, vowing to defeat him in Telangana in the future.

The Telangana Congress, meanwhile, has been highlighting its legislation to provide 42 per cent reservations for BCs, claiming that the State had become a model for the rest of the country. The Congress high command had also planned to focus on the BC reservation issue in Bihar.

But with the legislation now entangled in legal scrutiny and the backlash over the DNA remarks still fresh, the party appears to have decided against involving Telangana leaders in campaigning for the first phase in Bihar. Instead, apart from AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, the Congress high command has included Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukku, former Chief Minister of Rajasthan and Sardarpura MLA Ashok Gehlot, former Chief Minister of Chattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel, former Deputy Chief Minister and Tonk MLA Sachin Pilot, former Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala, Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and others as star campaigners.