Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Mahagathbandhan’s Chief Minister face in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav has made a big assertion against CM Nitish Kumar, claiming he won’t be returning to the post after Assembly elections in the state.
In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, the RJD leader claimed that Nitish Kumar “will be finished after the polls”, adding that he faced no challenge from the Janata Dal (United) supremo.
“CM Nitish Kumar is not in good health and has lost control over the administration . He is not coming back. He will be finished after the polls,” Tejashwi Yadav told HT, further suggesting that the ruling NDA was in no mood to make Nitish Kumar the Chief Minister again.
‘NDA won’t make Nitish CM again’
“It is all clear that the NDA will not be making Kumar the chief minister again. The NDA has still not declared their CM face and that makes the picture clear. There is no question of CM Kumar returning as his party will cease to exist after the polls. I can vouch for it,” Tejashwi Yadav said.
Yadav’s remarks during the interview came days after the Opposition Mahagathbandhan declared him as the alliance’s CM face in Bihar. The announcement followed days of apparent internal discord within the INDIA bloc over seat-sharing.
“All allies in the INDIA bloc, including our leader Rahul Gandhi, have decided that Tejashwi will be our CM face and we will fight the election unitedly. The decision has been taken after consultation with all allies and our president Mallikarjun Kharge,” Congress leader Ashok Gehlot had announced at a joint press conference in Patna.
Besides, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani was named the deputy chief ministerial face.
During the interview with HT, Tejashwi Yadav was also asked if a reunion with Nitish Kumar could ever been on cards for him. Reiterating his claim that the JDU would cease to exist following the Bihar elections, Tejashwi said: “First, there is no question of any realignment with the JD(U) or CM Kumar in the near future. As I told you, after the polls, the JD(U) will be finished and the party will cease to exist. So, where is the question of any realignment?”.
Yadav expressed confidence that the Mahagathbandhan will secure a clear majority in the upcoming polls. Referring to the 2020 elections, he alleged that “malpractices” and “poll discrepancies” had prevented the alliance from forming the government. He added that the Mahagathbandhan is now vigilant and will ensure no such manipulation occurs.
Elections to the 243-member Bihar Assembly will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11, and results will be announced on November 14.
(Inputs from interview with Anirban Guha Roy)
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