Tejashwi Yadav Declares Himself INDIA Bloc’s Bihar CM Face, Gets Backing from Akhilesh

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday announced himself as the chief ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls, taking a direct swipe at CM Nitish Kumar during a rally in Arrah.

Speaking at the final leg of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra, Yadav accused Nitish Kumar of being a “copycat CM” who was imitating his policies. “Do you want an original chief minister or a duplicate?” he asked the crowd, declaring himself the alliance’s “original” candidate in Gandhi’s presence.

The declaration ended weeks of speculation, as Congress and Gandhi had so far avoided naming a CM face for the alliance in Bihar, where polls are expected in October–November though dates are yet to be announced.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who joined the rally, endorsed Tejashwi as the INDIA bloc’s choice for the top post. Calling the yatra a movement to defend democratic rights, he praised Tejashwi’s previous tenure as deputy CM, particularly his record on jobs.

“Tejashwi ji has shown his work before, giving a record number of jobs. The youth of Bihar now have confidence that once the government is formed, he will again provide employment,” Akhilesh said. Asked if Tejashwi would be the bloc’s CM face, he replied: “What better face can there be? I assure him we will help with all our experience.”

The show of unity comes as the opposition bloc seeks to challenge Nitish Kumar’s JD(U)-BJP alliance in Bihar, a state crucial to national politics.