Bihar Assembly Polls: Tejashwi likely to be announced Mahagathbandhan's CM face today

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 23 (ANI): As the election dates come closer, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav is likely to be announced as the Chief Ministerial candidate by the opposition Mahagathbandhan today.
The declaration of Tejashwi as Mahagathbandhan's CM face is expected to be made during a joint press conference by alliance parties. Tejashwi, the Bihar Leader of Opposition (LoP), has previously served as Deputy Chief Minister.
This comes a day after the Congress high command rushed senior party leader Ashok Gehlot to Patna to defuse tensions within the grand alliance.
Gehlot met RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav at their residence in Patna amid reports of a widening rift between alliance partners, stemming from the issue of a "friendly fight" on some assembly seats.
Gehlot, who has been named as Senior Election Observer by the AICC, assured that the INDIA bloc is "fully united" after he and the Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru met with RJD's top leadership.
Gehlot had informed that the Mahagathbandhan will hold a press conference on October 23 to show the strength of the alliance. He also slammed the BJP for running a "sponsored campaign" in Bihar to create an "environment" that would suggest a rift within the alliance.
"A highly positive meeting took place with AICC Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, along with Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. The INDIA alliance in Bihar is fully united and is contesting the elections with strength. The full situation will be clarified in the Mahagathbandhan's press conference," he said.
Further speaking about the friendly fights on some seats in the alliance, Gehlot assured that it is not something out of the ordinary and Mahagathbandhan has "no problem" at all.
"In 243 seats, due to local leaders and equations, a situation like a friendly fight sometimes arises on 5-7 seats. This is a very small number, but a campaign was run against the Mahagathbandhan in the media over it, whereas in reality, there is no problem at all," he said.
The Mahagathbandhan has about 12 seats where at least two allies have filed nominations. However, this notion of a friendly fight has invited criticism from the NDA alliance, which has had no fissures after its seat-sharing arrangements were announced.
The 2025 Bihar elections will have the main contest between the National Democratic Alliance and the Mahagathbandhan.
NDA includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Mahagathbandhan, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal, includes Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).
Additionally, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj has also staked claims on all 243 seats of the state.
The assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The results will be declared on November 14. (ANI)