BJP mocks Rahul Gandhi's 'picnic safari' in MP amid crucial Bihar Assembly elections | VIDEO

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sparked a political controversy amid the Bihar Assembly elections by going on a jungle safari in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh. The jungle safari took place on Sunday morning, November 8, in the Panarpani and Barasel areas of the Pachmarhi Tiger Reserve, where Gandhi toured in an open jeep accompanied by senior Congress leaders, including Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari and Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar.

The visit came during Rahul Gandhi’s two-day stay in Pachmarhi, where he was attending a 10-day training camp for newly-appointed district Congress presidents. The brief safari was reportedly not part of the original schedule and was decided late Saturday night. After the safari, Gandhi left Madhya Pradesh for Bihar to actively participate in election campaigning.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sharply criticised the safari, mocking Rahul Gandhi for what they called a "picnic safari" amid the crucial Bihar polls. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused Gandhi of vacationing at a time when Bihar is going to the polls, calling him the "Leader of Partying" instead of the Leader of the Opposition. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also took a jibe, saying Gandhi’s trip reflected the weak state of the Congress and its Bihar alliance.

Congress sources defended Gandhi’s visit, saying the trip was to address organisational matters and was pre-scheduled, not a leisure break. Gandhi also used his time in Madhya Pradesh to allege systemic “vote theft” facilitated by the Election Commission under BJP influence, claiming large-scale voter manipulation in several states, including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh.