PATNA: Following the INDIA bloc’s decision to appoint Tejashwi Yadav as the head of its coordination committee in Bihar, RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha stated that Yadav is the undisputed chief ministerial face of the grand alliance in the upcoming state assembly elections due later this year.
Talking to media persons in Patna, Jha said, “The way the sun rises in the east, it is a universal truth that Tejashwi Yadav will be the CM face of the INDIA bloc in the state assembly elections,” he said.
He revealed that Tejashwi was the CM face of the opposition in the 2020 assembly elections and RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats kin the 243-member Bihar assembly. The RJD MP said that the 17-month tenure of grand alliance government in Bihar was praised by people for its remarkable development works.
With Tejashwi serving as deputy chief minister, grand alliance government provided jobs to people and also launched welfare schemes. “It is because of this ruling dispensation (NDA) in the state is finding it hard to match the pace of work undertaken during the grand alliance regime,” he told the media.
RJD MP alleged that NDA was trying to create a confusion among opposition alliance partners on the issue of CM face.
“But they (NDA) will not succeed in their ‘mission’ as people have rejected them for being anti-Dalit and anti-poor. The resentment among people against double engine government will reflect in assembly polls,” he added.
On Thursday, a crucial meeting of INDIA bloc was held in the state capital to discuss strategy for the Bihar assembly elections. The meeting resolved to set up a coordination committee under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav. The meeting was attended by representatives of Congress, RJD, CPI-ML, CPI, CPM and VIP.
NDA leaders, on the other hand, took a swipe on INDIA bloc saying that it has already been rejected by people. “What will they talk about. They have nothing to say. They will only criticise the NDA on one pretext or the other,” JD(U) spokesperson Neereaj Kumar said.
JD(U) leader and state rural works department minister Ashok Choudhary said that the
NDA was not concerned with what was happening in mahagathbandhan or grand alliance. “Our focus in on the development of the state. We will contest the elections on the basis of works undertaken during the NDA government,” he remarked.