Tejashwi Yadav is Mahagathbandhan’s CM face for Bihar Elections, announces Ashok Gehlot

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav will be the opposition Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot announced in Patna on October 23.

“We have decided to contest elections with Tejashwi Yadav as CM face,” Gehlot, the former Chief Minister of Rajasthan said at a joint press conference of Mahagathbandhan at Hotel Maurya on Thursday.

Mukesh Sahani of the Vikassheel Insaan Party will be Dy CM face, Gehlot also announced. All seven parties of the Mahagathbandhan, including the Congress and the left parties, have agreed to endorse Tejashwi's leadership for the two-phase elections.

Top leaders from the Mahagathbandhan presented a united front at the press conference amid a tussle within the alliance over seat allocation. In a last-ditch attempt to resolve the crisis, Ashok Gehlot arrived in Patna on October 22 to mediate between alliance partners. Gehlot also met RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his son, Tejashwi Yadav, to defuse tensions within the alliance comprising the RJD and the Congress as major parties.

The development comes on the last day for withdrawing nominations for the second phase of elections to be held on October 11. The first phase will be held on October 6. Votes will be counted on October 14.

Tejashwi asked the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) why there was no joint conference of the parties – the BJP and the Janada Dal (United) – as elections are nearing.

Tejashwi responds to ‘jungle raaj’ jibe

The RJD leader also responded to the return of ‘jungle raaj’ allegations by the ruling alliance

“I want to tell people that Tejashwi will not compromise on corruption and law and order. I also want to tell all Mahagathbandhan parties that we will develop a new Bihar,” Tajashwi said.

The RJD is contesting 143 of the 243 seats of Bihar. Congress is contesting 61 seats, CPI ML is contesting 20, and the remaining seats are likely to go to Mukesh Sahani's VIP, as per an informal arrangement.

Endorsing Tejashwi’s candidature for the top post in the State, other INDIA bloc leaders questioned the NDA alliance for not rallying behind incumbent Nitish Kumar as their leader.

“NDA has not even announced a name, they are saying that MLAs will decide who their leader will be. So, tell me who is late? It is Bihar which is 20 years late on the path to development... Strategies have been decided on all seats...There is no confusion on our side,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, who was also present in Patna.