New Delhi: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has been officially declared the chief ministerial candidate of the opposition’s Mahagathbandhan ahead of the high-stakes Bihar Assembly elections. The announcement came on Thursday at a joint press conference in Patna, where Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot confirmed Tejashwi’s selection after weeks of deliberations within the opposition bloc over seat-sharing.
Gehlot described Tejashwi as “young” and “committed”, asserting that the Mahagathbandhan had chosen him to lead the alliance’s challenge against the incumbent NDA government. Taking a swipe at the BJP, Gehlot said, “I want to ask Amit Shah… our leader is Tejashwi Yadav. Now they should confirm who is their (NDA) Chief Minister face.”
The alliance also announced Mukesh Sahani, chief of the Vikassheel Insaan Party, as the Deputy Chief Ministerial candidate, while hinting that additional deputy positions may be named later.
Addressing the media, Tejashwi thanked all alliance partners and emphasized a united vision for Bihar’s development, saying the Mahagathbandhan will work together to rebuild the state. He also questioned the NDA, adding, “Nitish Kumar is facing injustice. There has been no announcement that Nitish Kumar is the NDA’s Chief Ministerial face. We want to ask Amit Shah… why not this time? This is Nitish Kumar’s last election.”
With just days remaining for the polls, Tejashwi’s declaration as the CM face sets the stage for a high-voltage political battle in Bihar, as the opposition seeks to consolidate votes and challenge the ruling NDA
