Mahagathbandhan Declares Tejashwi As CM Face For Bihar Election
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday declared Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the assembly elections in Bihar, scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11.
“Everyone should be worried (about the situation in the country). This is why I can say that after consulting Kharge ji, Rahul ji, and others who are sitting here, that Tejashwi Yadav is the CM candidate for this election. He is a young person. He has a long future and the public will support him,” Gehlot said while addressing a press conference here.
Gehlot, named as Senior Election Observer by the AICC, said that people of Bihar want change as they struggle with multiple issues, including unemployment. He said that the way the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the centre was operating was a “threat to democracy”.
“It is obvious to get worried about the condition of the country and the state. The situation is serious. The way the NDA government operates is a threat to democracy. There is polarisation. Nobody knows in which direction the country is heading. If you criticise, you are sent to jail – it doesn’t matter if you are a journalist or activist. It is our responsibility to keep in mind what the country wants. The country is watching Bihar. The issue of unemployment remains. People want change,” he added.
Many prominent leaders of Mahagathbandhan and the INDIA bloc were present on the occasion, including CPI (ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram, Bihar Congress incharge Krishna Allavaru, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha, and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) convenor Mukesh Sahani, among others.
Sahani who heads the Vikasheel Insaan Pary has been named as the Deputy CM nominee from the Mahagathbandhan.
“I was awaiting this moment for 3.5 years. The moment has now come. Not just VIP or Mukesh Sahani, lakhs of people of the party were waiting for this. BJP broke our party and poached our MLAs…At that time, we had pledged with Ganga jal in our hands – ‘BJP ko jab tak hum todenge nahi, tab tak chhoddenge nahi’…Time has come, standing strong with Mahagathbandhan, we will form our Govt in Bihar and oust BJP from the state. Mahagathbandhan is united and strong. In the time to come, we will work and form our Government,” he said.
CPML leader Deepankar Bhattacharya said, “The people of Bihar have been waiting for the elections for a long time. This election is for the youth, farmers, women, and the poor… We want to assure the people that Bihar is ready… This Mahagathbandhan will fight unitedly to win the election.”
The 2025 Bihar elections will have the main contest between the National Democratic Alliance and the Mahagathbandhan.
NDA includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Mahagathbandhan, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal, includes Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).
Additionally, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj has also staked claims on all 243 seats of the state.
The assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The results will be declared on November 14. (ANI)
