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Rahul Gandhi had remained silent on the CM face of the Mahagathbandhan for the upcoming Bihar elections, while Akhilesh Yadav had lent support to Yadav.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. (PTI)
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday declared himself as the chief ministerial face of the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) during the last leg of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar.
Rahul Gandhi had so far remained silent on the CM face for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. However, Akhilesh Yadav had lent support to Yadav, saying he will form the next government and take Bihar on the path to progress.
Addressing a rally in Ara, Tejashwi Yadav slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and called him a “copycat CM” who was just copying his policies and making announcements. “Do you want an original Chief Minister or a duplicate?” he asked the crowd.
Tejashwi then went on to proclaim himself as the “original chief ministerial” candidate of the alliance even as Rahul Gandhi looked on. “Tejashwi is moving ahead. The government is following behind,” he said at the rally, drawing loud cheers.
Rahul Gandhi’s Silence
Tejashwi Yadav’s deafening announcement came after Rahul Gandhi and Congress’s silence over the CM candidate from the opposition camp in Bihar had generated curiosity. A few days ago, Rahul Gandhi declined to give a clear answer when he was asked about endorsing Tejashwi for the top post in Bihar.
Rahul Gandhi embarked on a 16-day campaign against the alleged theft of votes through the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, months ahead of the assembly election in the state. The rally saw the participation of high-profile leaders, including MK Stalin and Akhilesh Yadav.
Reports have suggested that Rahul Gandhi’s silence may be linked to seat-sharing arrangements in Bihar. The Congress insists there will be “no disputes,” but its past record in negotiations suggests otherwise. Congress and RJD are facing a considerable challenge in negotiating a cohesive seat-sharing arrangement.
Akhilesh Yadav Backs Tejashwi
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party chief has backed Tejashwi for the chief ministerial position in Bihar. “We will cooperate fully with Tejashwi Yadav in the upcoming assembly polls. May he form the next government and take Bihar on the path to progress,” he said.
“Tejashwi has been promising jobs to Bihar’s youth, which would put an end to forced migration. Let him win the assembly polls and it would be the turn of the BJP to migrate from the state,” he added, accusing the Narendra Modi government at the Centre of “trying to intimidate” the opposition.
Praising Tejashwi’s previous tenure as Deputy Chief Minister, Akhilesh highlighted his record on employment. “There was a time when he provided a record number of jobs. Now, the youth of Bihar at least have this confidence that once the government is formed, Tejaswi ji will again provide them employment.”
(with agency inputs)
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
- Location :
Bihar, India, India
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