RJD insists on Tejashwi as CM face, but Congress U-turn shakes Grand Alliance before Bihar polls

Bihar Assembly Election 2025: The dates for the Bihar Assembly elections have been officially announced. According to the Election Commission, voting will be held in two phases: November 6 and November 11. The results will be announced on November 14. However, as the elections draw closer, the state's major political parties remain undecided regarding seat sharing and the chief ministerial candidate.

The RJD and the Congress-led Grand Alliance are not unanimous on the chief ministerial candidate. The RJD has consistently demanded that Tejashwi Yadav be declared the CM face, while the Congress appears to be procrastinating on this proposal.

Congress leader Udit Raj's blunt statement

Speaking to the media, Congress leader Udit Raj clarified that Tejashwi Yadav can only be the RJD's chief ministerial candidate, but the face of the entire India Bloc will be decided collectively. He also added that Congress headquarters will make the final decision, making it clear that Congress's support for Tejashwi is unclear.

Rahul Gandhi also gave a vague answer

While Tejashwi Yadav may have served as Deputy Chief Minister twice and is credited with the RJD's success in the 2020 elections, Congress is not openly supporting his CM candidacy. Even when Rahul Gandhi was questioned about this, instead of giving a direct answer, he said that the India Bloc allies are working together and will contest the elections together.

Tejashwi Versus Alliance Confusion

Tejashwi Yadav, the son of former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, was also a candidate for the post of Chief Minister in 2020. He has extensive political experience and is popular among the youth. He was also the face of the Grand Alliance in the 2020 assembly elections. He recently stated that the Grand Alliance would not contest the elections without declaring a chief ministerial candidate. While the NDA moves to clarify its strategy, uncertainty persists within the Grand Alliance regarding seat-sharing and leadership. The impact of this political confusion will be clearly visible on the election atmosphere in the coming weeks.