Patna, Sept 22 : As Bihar gears up for the upcoming assembly elections, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has issued a strong warning to the INDIA alliance. He has made it clear that his party will not contest the elections unless a Chief Ministerial candidate is announced in advance.
Speaking at a public event in Vaishali, Tejashwi said, “We are not like the BJP to fight elections without a face. We will not enter the polls without declaring our Chief Ministerial candidate. We are making our position very clear and will act accordingly.” His remarks have stirred intense debate within the INDIA bloc, especially among Congress and other alliance partners.
It is worth noting that Tejashwi Yadav has, on multiple occasions, backed Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial face of the INDIA bloc. However, as the Bihar elections approach, he is now demanding that a decision be taken on the Chief Minister candidate as well indicating that he expects to be declared the face of the alliance in the state.
Tejashwi is currently leading the ‘Berozgaari Hatao Yatra’ (Remove Unemployment Yatra), which has already covered over 3,500 kilometers across 38 districts in Bihar. During the journey, he has raised critical issues such as unemployment, migration of laborers, inflation, corruption, and law and order problems clearly positioning himself as the leader-in-waiting.
Tejashwi’s demand has increased pressure on the INDIA bloc. Congress leader Krishna Allavaru responded, saying, “It is the people of Bihar who will decide who the next Chief Minister will be.” Meanwhile, CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya supported the idea of choosing a CM candidate only after the alliance secures a majority.
On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi has remained silent on the issue so far. As debates intensify over seat-sharing and leadership within the bloc, senior INDIA leaders are now calling for urgent discussions to resolve these internal differences before they affect the unity of the alliance in Bihar.
