As Bihar gears up for the Assembly Election less than 30 days away, the opposition Mahagathbandhan — led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress — continues to face internal uncertainty over its chief ministerial candidate.
Congress leader Udit Raj said that while Tejashwi Yadav may be the RJD’s choice for Chief Minister, the broader INDIA bloc has yet to take a collective decision.
“He may be the chief ministerial face for the RJD… but the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial face will be decided collectively,” Raj said.
Responding to questions about whether Yadav would be formalised as the alliance’s campaign face, he added,
“Look, any supporter of any party can do that (name that party’s leader a Chief Minister) … but the INDIA bloc’s candidate has not been decided. Let us see what the Congress HQ decides.”
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Neither the RJD nor Tejashwi Yadav have responded to Raj’s remarks.
Tension Persists as Congress Avoids Endorsing Tejashwi Yadav
The question of who will lead the Mahagathbandhan has been lingering for months. Outside the RJD-Congress framework, Yadav is viewed as the most credible challenger to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, given his political experience and mass appeal.
The RJD, under Tejashwi Yadav’s leadership, secured 75 seats in the 2020 Bihar Assembly Election, strengthening his claim to the top post. However, the Congress has refrained from publicly endorsing him, maintaining that the decision will be made later.
In August, when asked about Yadav’s candidacy, Rahul Gandhi said, “INDIA bloc partners are working… without tension. We will contest together and the results will be good.” Yadav was seated beside Gandhi during this interaction.
While the Congress seeks to shed its “junior partner” tag in Bihar, similar to its position in Tamil Nadu’s DMK alliance, the RJD remains firm that Tejashwi Yadav will lead the opposition campaign. Party sources suggest the Congress must either align with this stance or risk contesting independently — a move seen as unlikely given its weaker 2020 performance.
Voting in Bihar will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results scheduled for November 14. The election is expected to be a crucial test for the Mahagathbandhan as it aims to unseat Nitish Kumar, who has held the Chief Minister’s post since 2015, with the backing of the BJP.
