Bihar Battle: Mahagathbandhan names Tejashwi as CM face

The Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) on Thursday declared Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav as its CM candidate for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. It also announced Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) founder Mukesh Sahani as Deputy CM face of the Opposition bloc, with another candidate to be announced later.

Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who is also the senior observer for the Bihar polls, made the announcement at a joint press conference in Patna, which was attended by all coalition partners of the Opposition INDIA bloc. "I have talked to everyone, and we have agreed to make Tejashwi Yadav as the CM face," Gehlot said, adding, "Tejashwi Yadav has a long political career ahead of him, and he will get the approval of the people."

The decision to project Tejashwi as the CM candidate is seen as a significant boost for the Mahagathbandhan, especially among youth and backward caste voters. However, rumblings were evident in the Congress over Rahul Gandhi's absence from the alliance's poster at the event, which featured only Tejashwi’s photo. Independent MP Pappu Yadav said, "The vote will happen in the face of Rahul Gandhi and no one else.”

The seat-sharing issue, however, remains unresolved, with at least 11 Assembly seats witnessing contests between allies of the Mahagathbandhan.

Gehlot targets NDA

Gehlot questioned the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for not announcing their Chief Ministerial candidate, citing the example of Maharashtra where Eknath Shinde was projected as the CM face before the elections, only to be replaced later. He also criticised the Election Commission, calling it "partial."

Tejashwi thanked everyone for making him the CM face and attacked the NDA for "using" CM Nitish Kumar. "Amit Shah is using a different language than he did in the last polls. This time, he is saying that the MLAs would elect the CM. I am worried as a fellow Bihari," he said, accusing the Nitish Government of rampant corruption and anarchy. "A large number of scandals took place but no action was taken,” he alleged.

The RJD leader said the NDA had not released any manifesto. "It is only stealing my announcements on old age pension, women empowerment, fee power, etc. They have no vision of their own. When I was in power, we did a caste survey and increased reservation to 65 per cent. But the anti-backward government at the Centre did not include it in Schedule 9 of the Constitution,” he alleged.

Promises ‘new Bihar’

Tejashwi promised a "new Bihar" if elected as the CM, vowing to create new job avenues in the state and ensuring that no one has to go out of the state to find a job. He also stuck to his promise of providing one government job to each family in Bihar. “The NDA talks about ‘jungle raj’. Not a day passes when people are not murdered and girls are not sexually assaulted. There is no action against the guilty.”

"We will neither make any compromise with corruption nor law and order," the RJD said. He added that despite ruling for 20 years, Nitish could not bring prosperity to the state and that it remains one of the poorest in the county. He alleged that the BJP was trying to divide society on caste and creed.

CPI-ML general secretary Deepankar Bhattacharya also addressed the press conference, swearing to change the government in the upcoming elections.

Sahani's long wait ends

VIP founder Mukesh Sahani, immediately after being declared the deputy CM face, said he and his followers had been waiting for this moment for long. "Three and a half years ago, the BJP banished me. I had then sworn to oust the BJP from power, Now, the time has come," he said. The VIP had contested the 2020 Assembly polls with the BJP and won four of the 11 seats given to it. Mukesh Sahani was made a minister in the Nitish-led NDA government. However, he fought the UP Assembly elections and said unsavoury things about the Modi government. The BJP ousted him from the ministry and all his four MLAs merged with the BJP.

NDA mocks Tejashwi

Meanwhile, mocking at the grand alliance's announcement, the NDA said Tejashwi had been given a lollipop by the allies as he was sulking. Under the RJD leader, the alliance suffered defeats in 2019 Lok Sabha and 2020 Assembly polls. " November 14 (the day the Assembly results will be announced) is Children's Day. That day, Tejashwi will realise he was handed a lollipop, because there is no vacancy for the CM post," said JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.

"I am tickled when Tejashwi says he would have zero tolerance to corruption. Tejashwi, his father Lalu Prasad and mother are facing corruption charges in the land-for-job scam," said Patna MP Ravi Shankar Prasad. "The Mahagathbandhan can make Tejashwi the CM face, but cannot make him the CM. That is decided by the people," said Union Minister Nityanand Rai, predicting a crushing defeat for Tejashwi in the elections.

Big victory for RJD leader

The announcement of Tejashwi as the CM candidate is considered a significant victory for him, given the Congress's earlier reluctance to acknowledge him as the CM face. The Congress also opposed Sahini as deputy CM face. Today, both demands were conceded. Tejashwi will hit the campaign trail from October 24. He is scheduled to address six public meetings, including one in his own seat Raghopur.