Sonia Gandhi Calls Lalu Yadav After 'What Good Is Congress Alliance' Jibe

Lalu Yadav, returning to Bihar politics after three years in jail and hospitals, held up a giant red flag for the opposition alliance on Monday as he publicly dissed a Congress leader and questioned what good the alliance had done for his party.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi dialled Lalu Yadav on Tuesday amid signs that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader considers his long-time ally a dead weight in Bihar, especially with the approaching by-polls becoming a flashpoint between the parties.

Lalu Yadav, returning to Bihar politics after three years in jail and hospitals, held up a giant red flag for the opposition alliance on Monday as he publicly dissed a Congress leader and questioned what good the alliance had done for his party.

Both the RJD and the Congress are contesting the assembly by-elections to two seats -- Tarapur and Kusheshwar Asthan - on Saturday. This has deepened the rift between the allies.

Lalu Yadav was asked whether the RJD's alliance with the Congress was over. "Kya hota hai Congress ka gathbandhan (of what use is an alliance with the Congress)," snapped the former Bihar Chief Minister.