PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Saturday strongly hinted at his potential candidacy as the chief minister of Bihar for the Opposition alliance in the upcoming state elections, during a public meeting attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also expressed his full support for Tejashwi, pledging to offer his cooperation in the campaign and share his experience from Uttar Pradesh.
Speaking at the public rally in Ara, Bhojpur, as part of Rahul Gandhi's Voter Adhikar Yatra, Tejashwi sharply criticised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, calling him a "copycat CM" and accusing him of merely imitating his policies without genuine leadership.
Tejashwi questioned the crowd, largely made up of young people, whether they wanted an "original chief minister" or a "duplicate CM". The resounding reply from the audience was “We want an original chief minister,” followed by loud chants of “Tejashwi Yadav zindabad.”
Akhilesh Yadav, while addressing the rally, expressed confidence that the people of Bihar would support the INDIA alliance, ensuring a victory against the BJP. He also commended Tejashwi's tenure as Deputy Chief Minister, stating that he had introduced jobs for youth and several developmental initiatives. "I believe Tejashwi will meet the expectations of the people if given the opportunity,” he added.
Akhilesh, recalling his party's performance in the last Lok Sabha elections, urged the people of Bihar to replicate Uttar Pradesh’s success in defeating the BJP. He also spoke of the historic role of Bihar in halting BJP's progress in the past, referencing the time when Lalu Prasad Yadav stopped the BJP's Rath Yatra in Samastipur.
He further accused the BJP of manipulating the Election Commission, labelling it as a “Jugad Aayog” (Election Commission for manipulation), and claimed that Bihar would no longer face youth migration but would witness the “palayan” (exodus) of the BJP instead.
CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, also present at the rally, confirmed that Tejashwi would be the Opposition’s chief ministerial candidate, saying there was no confusion about it.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh also reiterated that Tejashwi would be the CM face for the Opposition, recalling that he had led the alliance in the 2020 assembly elections and would do so again in the upcoming polls.
In a separate development, activists from the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) protested Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Ara by showing black flags. In response, Rahul Gandhi offered them sweets, maintaining his calm in the face of the protest.