With Tejashwi as CM candidate, MGB dares NDA to name CM face

THE Opposition has thrown down the gauntlet to the ruling NDA by declaring Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav as the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate in Bihar. The move, which comes two weeks before the first phase of the Assembly polls, is also an attempt to present a united front amid differences within the RJD-led alliance. After initial reluctance, the Congress has given the thumbs up to Tejashwi’s elevation. The grand old party is itself facing a rebellion, which threatens to undo the gains accruing from Rahul Gandhi’s fortnight-long Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar.

The Mahagathbandhan is desperate to energise its poll campaign after doing a lot of firefighting over ticket allotment. No wonder Tejashwi has dared the NDA to declare its CM nominee. The BJP, a junior partner of the JD(U) in the state government, has been walking a tightrope on this tricky issue. Home Minister Amit Shah has stated that the coalition would contest the polls under CM Nitish Kumar’s leadership, but he has hastened to add that the MLAs would decide who will get the top post. Bihar is the only Hindi heartland state in which the BJP is playing second fiddle to a regional player. The saffron party may not prefer to continue in this vein if the alliance is re-elected. Much will depend on whether Nitish and the JD(U) can do enough to counter anti-incumbency — and how well Chirag Paswan’s party performs.

It’s significant that Mukesh Sahani, who heads the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), has been named as the Mahagathbandhan candidate for one of the two posts of deputy CM. The VIP is apparently a minor constituent, but it promises to punch well above its weight. The party’s influence over the Nishad and Mallah communities — which account for around 12 per cent of Bihar’s

voters — can be a decisive factor. However, the RJD, which carries the baggage of misrule, can’t afford to alienate the Congress and Left parties in this high-stakes battle. It needs all hands on deck to upstage the NDA.