Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has been officially declared the Chief Ministerial face of the Opposition’s Mahagathbandhan ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Ashok Gehlot stated that the alliance had unanimously chosen the former Deputy Chief Minister as its CM face, describing him as “young” and “committed”.
“Our leader is Tejashwi Yadav. Now I want to ask Amit Shah, who is the NDA’s Chief Ministerial face?” said Ashok Gehlot, throwing a direct challenge at the ruling alliance. The announcement was made on Thursday by senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot during a joint press conference by the INDIA bloc in Patna. The senior Congress leader added that the move reflected the Opposition’s confidence in the RJD leader’s ability to lead Bihar’s political renewal. The decision follows weeks of negotiations and reported friction over seat-sharing within the Opposition alliance.
It was also announced that Mukesh Sahani, chief of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), will be one of the alliance’s Deputy Chief Minister candidates, though he hinted that “more deputies” could be announced later.
According to Gehlot, the Congress high command, including Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, strongly backed Tejashwi’s candidature. “Rahul Gandhi wanted Tejashwi Yadav to be the face of the Opposition. We are entering this election as a united force,” he said.
Expressing gratitude to the alliance partners, Tejashwi Yadav said the Mahagathbandhan was united in its vision to “rebuild Bihar”. Taking aim at the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), he questioned their silence over Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s leadership. “There has been no announcement that Nitish Kumar is the NDA’s Chief Ministerial face. Why this hesitation? Amit Shah declared him CM face before every election, why not this time?” Tejashwi asked. “This is Nitish Kumar’s last election. Even Amit Shah has made that clear.”
He further criticised the NDA government’s record on law and order, alleging that “at least 200 bullets are fired in Bihar every day.” Responding to the ‘jungleraj’ jibe often used against the RJD, he said, “Tejashwi will never compromise on corruption or law and order. Even if Tejashwi’s shadow commits a crime, punishment will follow.”
The joint press conference was seen as a display of unity following tense weeks of negotiations over seat distribution. Talks between the RJD and Congress had hit a stalemate as both parties insisted on contesting certain constituencies. The impasse led to a “friendly fight” on several seats, with both parties fielding candidates, raising fears that such overlaps could divide Opposition votes and help NDA candidates.
To diffuse the crisis, the Congress leadership dispatched Ashok Gehlot and Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru to Patna. Following a series of meetings with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, the alliance appears to have resolved most differences.
In the 2020 Assembly elections, the RJD had contested 144 seats and won 75, while the Congress fought 70 and secured just 19. This time, the RJD has announced candidates for 143 constituencies, and the Congress is contesting 59.
Mukesh Sahani’s VIP is likely to field candidates in about 15 constituencies, while Left parties, the CPI(ML), CPI, and CPM will contest around 30. Despite some overlapping nominations, leaders indicated that several “friendly fights” may still resolve as the withdrawal deadlines approach.
With Tejashwi Yadav now officially leading the Mahagathbandhan, the Bihar election is shaping up as a direct contest between the Opposition bloc and the NDA, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha. Elections in Bihar will be held in two phases, on November 6 and November 11, and the results will be declared on November 14.
