"Naturally, it was going to be Tejashwi's name": Congress' Ashok Gehlot on Mahagathbandhan's CM face for Bihar polls

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 23 (ANI): With the Bihar Assembly elections nearing, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said that it was "natural for Tejashwi Yadav to be the Mahagathbandhan's Chief Ministerial face", adding that top leaders, including Rahul Gandhi were in favour of this decision.
"Naturally, it was going to be Tejashwi's name. Rahul Gandhi and everyone else had his name on their minds that Tejashwi Yadav will be our CM face," Gehlot said.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has been declared as the Chief Ministerial candidate from the Mahgathbandhan for the assembly elections in Bihar, scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11.
After being declared as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly elections, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav said that the alliance partners have come together for the advancement of Bihar. He asserted that the opposition Mahagathbandhan together will throw out the "useless" 20-year-old double-engine government in the state.
"We, the people of Mahagathbandhan, do not just want to form the government or become the CM, but we want to make Bihar, which is why we are together. I thank all the members of the Mahagathbandhan for showing trust in me. I want to assure all of them that I will do everything possible to meet your expectations. Together, we will throw the useless 20-year-old double-engine government, where one engine is corrupt. The other is criminal," Yadav, who is currently the Bihar Leader of Opposition (LoP), said while addressing a press conference here.
Launching a scathing attack on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Tejashwi said that they haven't held a single joint press conference to announce their CM face.
"Gehlot rightly said that not even a single joint press conference has been held by the NDA. At least we did that apart from holding many meetings together. Injustice is being done to Nitish Kumar in the NDA. No official announcement has been made for their CM face," Yadav said.
He further stated that this would be the last election for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and it has already been decided by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He alleged that there are a handful of leaders in the Janata Dal (United) who are trying to "destroy" the ruling party in Bihar.
"We have been saying from the beginning that the people of the BJP are not going to make Nitish Kumar the CM. Amit Shah has stamped this by saying multiple times that the strength of MLAs will decide it. What is the reason that you are not announcing Nitish Kumar as the CM face? The JD(U) will cease to exist after the elections, as some members within the party are working for the BJP. This is the last election for Nitish Kumar. This has already been decided by Amit Shah," Tejashwi Yadav said.
The former Deputy CM asserted that the Mahagathbandhan government if voted to power needs only 20 months to carry out works for Bihar that have not been undertaken in 20 years.
"I would like to say this confidently that not 5 years, if the people of Bihar give us 20 months, Tejashwi and our government will complete in 20 months what these people did not do in 20 years. We have pledged that there will be no family without a government job," Yadav said.
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot today announced Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the assembly elections in Bihar, scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11.
"Everyone should be worried (about the situation in the country). This is why I can say that after consulting Kharge ji, Rahul ji, and others who are sitting here, that Tejashwi Yadav is the CM candidate for this election. He is a young person. He has a long future and the public will support him," Gehlot said while addressing a press conference here.
Mukesh Sahani, who heads the Vikasheel Insaan Pary (VIP), has been named as the Deputy CM nominee from the Mahagathbandhan.
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)