{"id":357173,"date":"2025-10-23T09:31:34","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T04:01:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/?p=357173"},"modified":"2025-10-23T09:46:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T04:16:10","slug":"bihar-mahagathbandhan-finally-tejashwi-to-be-declared-cm-face-but-are-all-its-troubles-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/bihar-mahagathbandhan-finally-tejashwi-to-be-declared-cm-face-but-are-all-its-troubles-over\/","title":{"rendered":"Bihar Mahagathbandhan\u2014Finally, Tejashwi to be declared CM face but are all its troubles over\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Adding to the alliance\u2019s image crisis are allegations that party tickets were being sold for money. Then there are legacy issues Tejashwi may have to face is mind the RJD\u2019s past related with father, former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, and allegations of \u2018jungle raaj\u2019 associated with the party. \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Tejashwi Yadav social media account<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav is expected to be officially announced as the chief ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc in Bihar on Thursday. The development follows meetings on Wednesday between senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, state in-charge Krishna Allavaru, and RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav aimed at resolving a weeks-long deadlock within the opposition alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the Congress has not issued a formal statement on the meeting\u2019s outcome, CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya indicated that Tejashwi\u2019s candidature could be formally declared at a joint press conference on Thursday. \u201cEveryone in Bihar knows Tejashwi will lead the government if the INDIA bloc secures a majority,\u201d Bhattacharya was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As far as Congress is concerned, Gehlot told reporters that \u201call confusion over the CM face will end today,\u201d though he avoided confirming details. The Congress had so far been hesitant to publicly endorse Tejashwi as the alliance\u2019s leader in Bihar, even as the RJD acknowledged Rahul Gandhi as the INDIA bloc\u2019s choice for prime minister in the next general election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing reports of seat-sharing disputes that led to INDIA bloc partners contesting against each other, Gehlot dismissed the issue, calling such \u201cfriendly fights\u201d common in coalition politics. \u201cPeople of Bihar want change. They understand that our unity is essential for the country\u2019s future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tejashwi, meanwhile, sought to downplay talk of divisions. \u201cThere is no controversy or confusion in the INDIA bloc. We\u2019ll speak tomorrow, and you\u2019ll get answers to all your questions,\u201d he told the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last major show of unity among the bloc\u2019s top leaders came during the launch of the \u2018Ati Pichhda EBC Sankalp Patra\u2019 in Patna on September 24, attended by Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the alliance continues to grapple with internal friction unlike the united face of the BJP-JD(U)-LJP NDA . The RJD has announced 143 candidates, while the Congress has fielded 61, leaving several overlapping claims unresolved. Smaller allies, including the Left parties and VIP, have voiced dissatisfaction, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has already withdrawn from the coalition after its seat demands were ignored. In several constituencies, both Congress and CPI candidates are contesting, potentially splitting the anti-NDA vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind the scenes, tensions have reportedly worsened due to what local leaders call \u201cDelhi-style micromanagement.\u201d Congress functionaries have accused state leaders Rajesh Ram and Krishna Allavaru of running the campaign like a \u201ccorporate setup,\u201d sidelining grassroots workers. Some insiders believe that bringing in a more seasoned negotiator, such as Bhupesh Baghel, might have averted the standoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding to the alliance\u2019s image crisis are allegations that party tickets were being sold for money, eroding public trust. Then there are legacy issues Tejashwi may have to face is mind the RJD’s past related with father, former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, and allegations of \u2018jungle raaj\u2019 associated with the party. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the opposition\u2019s disarray has proven politically advantageous. With the NDA projecting a united and disciplined front, analysts say the Mahagathbandhan\u2019s internal turmoil risks alienating voters who saw it as a credible alternative.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adding to the alliance\u2019s image crisis are allegations that party tickets were being sold for money. Then there are legacy issues Tejashwi may have to face is mind the RJD\u2019s past related with father, former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, and allegations of \u2018jungle raaj\u2019 associated with the party. \u00a0\u00a0 Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":187,"featured_media":357174,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2915,1801],"tags":[17301,16003,17074,18688,18067,16687],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357173"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/187"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=357173"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357173\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":357178,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357173\/revisions\/357178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/357174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=357173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=357173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=357173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}