Bihar polls: INDIA bloc announces Tejashwi as CM.
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said the decision had full support from Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.
Patna: In a strategic move aimed at projecting unity ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, the opposition INDIA bloc on Thursday officially declared RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate. The decision comes as an effort to end internal squabbles and consolidate the coalition’s position against the ruling NDA.
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot asserted that the announcement had the backing of his party’s de facto leader Rahul Gandhi and national president Mallikarjun Kharge, highlighting the coalition’s efforts to present a united front.
Addressing a packed press conference in Patna, Gehlot also announced that leaders from other parties and communities, including Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni, would be appointed deputy chief ministers if the INDIA bloc forms the government. “This decision reflects the complex social structure of Bihar and ensures that all sections of society are represented,” he said.
as well as all coalition partners present, to name Tejashwi Yadav ji as our chief ministerial candidate,” Gehlot said.
The move addresses longstanding demands from a section of Congress leaders in Bihar, who had sought a deputy CM from their ranks—preferably a Muslim or Dalit leader—to strengthen the coalition’s social and political balance.
project stability and leadership coherence.
Observers note that the announcement could also be seen as a signal to the BJP, which had outperformed the JD(U) in the last assembly elections and has yet to secure the chief ministerial post in Bihar—the only Hindi heartland state where it remains outside power.
Union minister Chirag Paswan, whose LJP(R) is the NDA’s third-largest constituent, criticized the INDIA bloc’s preparedness, saying, “Our campaign has already picked up. My voice has gone hoarse addressing rallies.
His comments reflect the high-stakes and often combative nature of Bihar’s political landscape, where alliances and rivalries shape the electoral narrative.
As campaigning intensifies in the state, the INDIA bloc appears to be consolidating its leadership and messaging strategy. By naming Tejashwi as the face of its campaign, the coalition aims to reassure voters of a cohesive opposition, ready to take on the NDA while maintaining representation across the state’s diverse social spectrum.
With the elections around the corner, political observers believe that the INDIA bloc’s announcement could play a crucial role in mobilizing supporters, countering BJP narratives, and influencing undecided voters in key constituencies.