Bihar Opposition’s CM Face Remains Uncertain Ahead of Polls
GG News Bureau
Patna, 8th Oct: With less than a month remaining for the Bihar Assembly elections, the opposition Mahagathbandhan — primarily comprising the Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress — is still grappling with uncertainty over its chief ministerial candidate.
Congress leader Udit Raj on Tuesday told PTI that while Tejashwi Yadav may be the RJD’s choice for Chief Minister, he has not yet been formally approved as the candidate for the INDIA bloc, the national-level anti-BJP front that includes the Congress.
“He may be the chief ministerial face for the RJD… but the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial face will be decided collectively,” Raj said. “Look, any supporter of any party can do that… but the India bloc’s candidate has not been decided. Let us see what the Congress HQ decides.”
The uncertainty persists despite Yadav’s repeated assertion that the opposition cannot contest without projecting a chief ministerial face. Yadav, the son of Lalu Prasad Yadav and a two-time ex-Deputy Chief Minister, is widely seen as the only credible contender to challenge JD(U) leader and incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He led the RJD to 75 seats in the 2020 Assembly elections, adding to his political credentials.
The Congress has so far refrained from publicly endorsing Yadav, aiming to assert itself beyond a “junior partner” role in Bihar. Rahul Gandhi, in August, sidestepped questions on the CM face, saying, “INDIA bloc partners are working… without tension. We will contest together and the results will be good.”
While the Mahagathbandhan has made Yadav its declared candidate, internal negotiations with Congress remain unresolved. Sources indicate that the party may consider contesting independently if required, though a split is seen as unlikely given the Congress’ weaker performance in 2020.
The 2025 Bihar elections are pivotal for the opposition as it aims to unseat Nitish Kumar and the BJP. Voting is scheduled in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results declared on November 14.
