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Patna (IANS)
Siddiqui, a seven-time MLA, former Bihar finance minister and a close aide of RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, in a recent interview with IANS, acknowledged the young Yadav as a legacy of his father’s legacy but stressed that he was yet to develop the qualities required for such a post.
“Tejashwi is trying to fulfill the aspirations of the backward classes, but it will take time,” Siddiqui told IANS. He said, “Only if he follows the ideals of Karpoori Thakur and Lalu ji, strongly emulating their vision, will the public truly be able to see him as their savior.”
The measured assessment of Siddiqui, a founding member and trusted confidant of Lalu, underlines the subtle fault lines in the RJD as the grand alliance gears up for the assembly elections in November.
This reflects long-standing family dynamics, with elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav – once a vocal critic – reportedly resenting Tejashwi being put forward as the chief ministerial face of the alliance. Although Tej Pratap has since reconciled, past episodes, including his 2019 independent candidacy, highlight the Yadav siblings’ uneven path to party dominance.
The moment brings back memories of the RJD poster war of February 2025, when a cheeky billboard near Rabri Devi’s residence showed Tejashwi moving forward on a galloping horse, lantern in hand, towards the “2025” milestone, while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar followed at a slow pace, on the back of a tortoise, with a chain hanging from his neck.
“The Tejashwi government is coming. Things will move forward at the same pace during the 17-month period,” it announced, pointing to the 2022 grand alliance tenure under which Tejashwi gave jobs to 10 lakh youth as deputy CM. The visuals, released amid initial election buzz, faced sharp criticism from JD(U) as juvenile propaganda.
With elections approaching on November 6 and 11, Siddiqui’s words on Sunday suggest caution in campaigning. The grand alliance’s unity was formalized on October 23 with Yadav being elected chief minister and Vikassheel Insaan Party’s Mukesh Sahni as deputy chief minister, facing the NDA’s counter-narrative of development, including 1.5 lakh km of rural roads.
Analysts see Siddiqui’s intervention as a pragmatic gesture rather than a dissent, and urge Tejashwi to deepen his connect with extremely backward classes (EBCs) and Dalits beyond the core Muslim-Yadav base.
As helicopter rallies begin from Raghopur, insider suspicions slow the gallop, reminding that Bihar’s decision depends not just on legacy, but on proving momentum.
–IANS
SKTR/UK