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Patna, May 23 (IANS) The Grand Alliance in Bihar on Thursday formally declared RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate, while Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni was announced as the deputy chief minister if the India Bloc government is formed after the November 14 assembly elections.
However, behind the scenes, the biggest political development of the day was marked by intense last-minute drama.
Sources revealed that Sawhney exerted calculated pressure on the Congress leadership at a crucial moment – leading to an emergency among senior opposition leaders just hours before the press conference.
According to inside sources, Sahni had strongly demanded the post of Deputy CM otherwise he would stay away from the press conference.
He reportedly refused to attend the press conference until his demands were met, hinting that if Tejashwi Yadav was to become the CM face of the alliance, he should be declared his deputy.
At that time, Sahni was staying at Hotel Maurya in Patna along with former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other opposition leaders.
Sources said Gehlot’s room became the coordination venue ahead of the press conference, where Tejashwi Yadav arrived – but Sahni remained absent.
“The message was clear – if Yadav is the CM face, Sahni wanted to be the deputy CM,” said a senior source close to the VIP chief.
“VIP agreed to contest only 15 seats, much less than its previous demand of 24, because Sahni was hoping for the post. Without this, he would not have been able to face his supporters.”
The situation reportedly threatened to derail the fragile unity within the Grand Alliance, leading to personal intervention by Tejashwi Yadav.
The RJD leader assured Sahni that every party would be represented in the future government, but Sahni remained adamant.
After this, Gehlot reached the Congress high command in Delhi for approval to nominate Sahani as the deputy. The leadership reportedly agreed, recognizing the electoral importance of the Mallah and Nishad communities, which constitute about 9 percent of Bihar’s voters.
Even CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya, who was waiting downstairs, gave his consent. Simultaneously, it was announced: Tejashwi Yadav as the CM face, with Mukesh Sahni as his deputy.
After the announcement, Sahni told reporters, “No pressure was put. There may be a little delay, but better late than never. The NDA has not even announced its CM face yet – we have clarity on both the chief minister and deputy chief minister.”
Sawhney denied that his demands led to the delay in the press conference, but sources confirmed that his hard bargaining was successful. Under the deal, apart from the post of Deputy CM, VIP is also expected to get two Legislative Council seats and one Rajya Sabha seat.
Sahni, a former Bollywood set designer turned politician, is considered crucial to uniting the Mallah, Sahni and Nishad votes in Mithilanchal and Seemanchal regions.
Analysts believe his inclusion could create a balance among multiple constituencies.
Addressing reporters after the announcement, Tejashwi Yadav indicated that Sahni would not be the only deputy chief minister if the alliance came to power.
“We will also include other people from different communities,” he said, suggesting that more leaders could be included to maintain caste and regional balance.
Ashok Gehlot later told reporters that Congress fully supports Tejashwi’s leadership.
“He is young, energetic and committed. Rahul Gandhi has personally supported his candidature,” Gehlot said.
For now, the Grand Alliance has achieved what seemed impossible – bringing together diverse partners under a clear leadership formula, although the uneasy peace between its ambitious leaders may be tested again as the campaign intensifies.
–IANS
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