The opposition alliance in Bihar on Thursday officially announced Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav as its Chief Ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly elections. The declaration was made during a joint press conference in Patna attended by senior leaders of the alliance.
The “Mahagathbandhan” or Grand Alliance—comprising the RJD, Congress, and several regional partners—had been in discussions over seat-sharing and leadership for weeks. With this announcement, the alliance sought to project unity and clarity in its campaign strategy.
Tejashwi Yadav, addressing the media after the announcement, said that while the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has yet to clearly project a Chief Ministerial face, the opposition has taken a decisive step forward. He alleged that the NDA and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were deliberately keeping Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sidelined and had not clarified whether he would continue as their CM candidate.
The alliance also declared Mukesh Sahani, leader of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), as the prospective Deputy Chief Minister face. However, leaders indicated that other partners might be accommodated in senior positions if the alliance comes to power.
Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who was present at the event, said the decision to name Tejashwi Yadav had the backing of all alliance partners, including Rahul Gandhi. He described Tejashwi as “young, energetic, and committed to change Bihar’s future.”
The announcement is seen as an effort to boost the opposition’s momentum ahead of the polls and to present a unified front against the NDA government in the state. With this, the Bihar election battle is now clearly drawn between the NDA’s incumbent leadership and the opposition bloc led by Tejashwi Yadav.