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New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) After weeks of internal strife and speculation, the Grand Alliance in Bihar has officially declared RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial face for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The announcement has excited the opposition faction, but the BJP has questioned whether the alliance has any “real chance” of winning.
Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “It is good that they have taken the decision, but are there any real chances of winning? The people of Bihar have already decided to move forward with PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar. NDA’s decisive victory is certain.”
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary also reacted and said that the decision reflected the dynastic politics of RJD.
He said, “Everyone knows that Lalu Prasad Yadav cannot hand over power to anyone outside his family. Candidates were being fielded against each other until he got his consent. This is a symbol of anarchy. By committing ‘hooliganism’, Lalu Yadav is making Tejashwi the CM face. This is the reason why their alliance is breaking.”
BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said, “RJD has put Congress in its place. Tejashwi Yadav has shown Rahul Gandhi his true status. Even though Rahul’s image is missing from the campaign, some Congress leaders shamelessly sat on Tejashwi’s platform. Congress has lost its position in Bihar.”
On the other hand, opposition leaders described the decision as a defining moment for Bihar.
Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad said, “Tejashwi Yadav is the people’s favorite leader. Under the NDA government, Bihar is completely ruined. Law and order has collapsed and unemployment is at its peak. People have decided to give power to Tejashwi and bring change. I congratulate him on this decision.”
Congress leader Pawan Kheda described the announcement as a “historic step”, saying, “Today is an important day for Bihar. We have made an important announcement which has brought a wave of happiness across the state. Meanwhile, the NDA is in a dilemma and still cannot reveal who will be their chief ministerial candidate.”
Tejashwi Yadav also reacted and said, “This is not new to us. Even in 2020, we fought the elections with the trust of the people. We actually won, but through manipulation and narrow margins – barely 12,000 votes on five seats – the results were overturned. There was never any confusion in our alliance. Our goal is clear: the development of Bihar. We have the vision, plan and passion to build a new Bihar that includes everyone.”
Congress state president Ajay Rai said that India Block is confident of forming the next government in Bihar.
“We wholeheartedly welcome this decision and appreciate the unity shown by our leadership,” he said.
Jan Shakti Janata Dal president Tej Pratap Yadav said, “The final decision will be taken by the people of Bihar, not by the politicians. It is they who will decide who deserves to lead.”
RJD Bihar president Mangani Lal Mandal confirmed the party’s unity, saying, “We are in an alliance with one face and a capable candidate, Tejashwi Yadav.”
Meanwhile, AIMIM leader Waris Pathan criticized the grand alliance for ignoring representation.
“They may make Mukesh Sahni the deputy CM, but what about the 19 per cent of the population whom they ignored? These are the same people who once said, ‘The bigger the number, the bigger the share.’ Now what happened to that promise?” he told IANS.
Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav’s name was announced as the chief ministerial face during the joint press conference of the alliance at Hotel Maurya in Patna.
This announcement was made by former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the presence of leaders of the constituent parties of the alliance.
Gehlot said, “Tejashwi Yadav is young and a person of commitment. He has fulfilled his promises. He has a long career. Therefore, we have decided to contest this election under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav. He will be the face of our chief ministerial post.”
Gehlot also announced the name of Mukesh Sahni as the face for the post of Deputy Chief Minister.
This decision comes after a long dispute between the constituent parties – especially RJD and Congress – over the seat sharing system and CM face.
As per the final formula, RJD will contest 143 seats while maintaining its strong presence on the ground, especially among the Muslim-Yadav (MY) voter base.
The Grand Alliance faced heavy criticism for failing to resolve internal differences even as the nomination deadline for the second phase approached.
The primary impasse arose due to the Congress party’s demand to contest 70 seats, the same number of seats it had contested in the 2020 assembly elections – a performance year in which it won only 19 seats, and recorded a strike rate of only 27 per cent.
–IANS
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