Congress leader Pappu Yadav on Thursday said he would file his nomination from Purnea as an independent candidate. This decision follows the recent seat-sharing agreement between Congress and the RJD, where Purnea was allotted to the latter.

Yadav, who merged his Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) with the Congress, has appealed to RJD leader Lalu Yadav to reconsider and allocate Purnia to the Congress. His request comes after the RJD declared its candidate, former minister and Rupauli MLA Bima Bharati, for the Purnia seat.

Pappu Yadav’s stance has created tension within the Grand Alliance in Bihar, the opposition coalition comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties.

In a statement, Yadav expressed gratitude for the support he has received, emphasising his commitment to strengthening the INDIA bloc and the Congress.

He mentioned being distressed for the past two weeks but also said that winning elections is not his priority; earning the trust of Bihar and the nation is.

Speaking on his relations with the Congress, Yadav said, “Congress family is to me, I have won their trust and I’ll be with this family forever.”

Recently, the Mahagathbandhan announced that the RJD, its largest constituent, will contest 26 out of Bihar’s 40 Lok Sabha seats, including Purnia.