Bihar Elections: Tejashwi is Mahagathbandhan’s CM Face, NDA Dared to Name Theirs

Patna: The Opposition Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) ended days of speculation and wait on Thursday by announcing young Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial face and dared ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to declare its chief ministerial candidate.

Tejashwi Yadav was declared as the chief ministerial face for next month’s Bihar Assembly polls by senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot at a joint press conference of  the Grand Alliance, including  leaders of RJD, Congress, Left parties and Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) in Patna. VIP leader Mukesh Sahani was named as one Deputy CM face of the Opposition alliance.  

Gehlot said Tejashwi’s name was always the top choice for CM candidate of Mahagathbandhan. The RJD leader, former Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition, is the younger son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who  belongs to Yadav caste, a powerful OBC (Other backward Classes) community.

Gehlot also announced that there will be two Deputy Chief Ministers if Grand Alliance forms the next government. He declared VIP chief Mukesh Sahani, who belongs to extreme backward caste (EBC) and claims himself as the son of a Mallah, as deputy chief minister and another Deputy CM will be from another community, most probably Dalit or Muslim. The name the of other DCM was not made public.

Sahani has been demanding that the Mahagathbandhan should name him DCM to send a strong political message to EBCs that constitute 36% of total population of Bihar and are considered loyal to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

It was widely expected that Tejashwi’s name would be formally announced as a CM candidate after a meeting between Gehlot, Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi on Wednesday in Patna to resolve the deadlock over seat sharing. Gehlot  made it clear that the Mahagathbandhan was “united and intact.”

Gehlot dared ruling NDA to declare its CM face."Now NDA should tell who is its chief ministerial candidate or face", he , said

Tejashwi echoed Gehlot and asked NDA to declare its CM face. "Why is NDA is not announcing its CM face? BJP will not declare Nitish Kumar as CM candidate this time,” he added.

An upbeat Tejashwi said, “We will together throw the useless 20-year-old double engine government. We need only 20 months to carry out work that has not been undertaken in 20 years in Bihar. Give me 20 months to change Bihar”, he added.

The RJD leader reiterated his promise to provide a government job to at least one person in every household or family in the state if his party-led Mahagathbandhan wins and forms the government.

In an aggressive tone, he challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying that “factories in Gujarat and victory in Bihar” will not work this time.”

Of 243 Assembly seats, RJD is contesting 143 seats, Congress 50 plus, Left parties 30, VIP 15 and IIP 3 seats.

Tejashwi, who is star campaigner of the Mahagathbandhan, will kick off his campaign either on October 24 or 25. Besides, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will also launch the campaign.