Declaration of Tejashwi Yadav’s name as Mahagathbandhan’s CM face has Rahul Gandhi’s backing: Ashok Gehlot

The INDIA bloc on Thursday declared Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Prasad Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

Announcing this at a press conference attended by all the alliance partners, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said that the decision was made with the consent of his party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.

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Gehlot also stated that if the INDIA alliance forms the government, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani will be made one of the Deputy Chief Ministers. He added that another leader from the backward community will also be given the post of Deputy Chief Minister.

He also demanded the NDA to announce its chief ministerial candidate.

Accusing the BJP, Gehlot said, “In Maharashtra, they fought the elections under (Eknath) Shinde’s leadership, and look at what they did later. Similarly, in Bihar too, they will not make Nitish Kumar the Chief Minister.”

Soon after being nominated as the INDIA Alliance’s CM face, Tejashwi Yadav, promised crime and corruption-free administration, and added that his government would eradicate the poison that divides caste against caste and religion against religion.

“Tejashwi will not compromise with corruption or crime. Even if Tejashwi’s own shadow is involved in crime, it will be punished. We will build a new Bihar,” he asserted.

He also promised to deliver on his promises within 20 months of forming the government. “What the NDA government could not do in 20 years, we will accomplish in 20 months.”

He reiterated his promises of one government job per family, regularisation of Jeevika Didis and contractual workers, Rs2,500 per month to every woman under the ‘Mai-Bahin Maan Yojana’, and gas cylinders for Rs500, besides other poll promises announced earlier.

VIP chief Mukesh Sahani, who has been nominated as Deputy CM face of the alliance, said: “I have been waiting for three and a half years for this moment. The BJP broke our MLAs and pushed the poor Mallah to the streets. We had vowed that until we break the BJP, we will not rest. The INDIA alliance is strong. We will form the government.”

CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said, “There are two contexts to the Bihar elections. When the previous elections were held, the NDA thought there was no opposition in Bihar. But due to a few seats, we couldn’t form the government. This time, that shortfall will be overcome.”

He said that all eyes are on Bihar elections, people are worried whether it will follow Maharashtra or Jharkhand. “I assure everyone, just like Jharkhand, Bihar will also reject the BJP’s agenda. Those concerned about protecting the Constitution can be assured, this time, there will be change.”