"Scared of defeat:" Congress' Pawan Khera on NDA not declaring CM candidate for Bihar polls

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 26 (ANI): Ahead of the Bihar elections, Congress leader Pawan Khera on Sunday criticised the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for not announcing the name of the state's Chief Ministerial candidate.
Speaking to ANI, the Congress leader stated that the alliance is afraid of losing the polls, as it has not announced the name of the Chief Minister. Further, he also alleged that the NDA lacks the courage to declare that Nitish Kumar will be their candidate for Chief Minister.
"They (NDA) are scared of defeat, who are they to raise questions on us? We have announced the name of our CM candidate, but they couldn't do it. They do not have the courage to say that their CM candidate will be Nitish Kumar. What is their agenda? There is an absolute Jungle Raj going on in the state at the moment...where in Patna, Khemkaji gets murdered, women get raped, kidnappings are happening, who will give an account of this? said Khera.
The Congress leader also asked about the progress made in the State over the years. "We are asking for report card, What development have they done in Bihar? How much employment they have provided, paper leaks are happening, bridges are falling, what development they have done, where is Darbhanga ka AIIMS," added Khera.
Meanwhile, Mahagathbandhan's Chief Ministerial candidate, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, assured voters that his alliance would deliver on every promise.
He took a sharp dig at the NDA, saying that "no one in NDA is saying anything except abusing Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav". He further hit it out at the NDA over its unfulfilled commitments, saying, "What happened to the two crore jobs, Startup India, Make in India? We believe in doing the work. We are telling everything to the people about what we will do in the next 5 years."
Tejashwi also took aim at the NDA's campaign strategy, saying that instead of addressing key issues, the alliance was focused on personal attacks. "No one in NDA is saying anything except abusing Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. This time, people of Bihar are impatient for the change," he said.
Highlighting the anti-incumbency in Bihar, Tejashwi exuded confidence that people will bring about a change in the government. "If you saw a seed of only one brand, it doesn't yield crops and turns the land barren. People of Bihar will bring about a change (in the government). We are asking the people of Bihar to give us merely 20 months. I have complete faith in the people of Bihar, in my constituents, that there will be a change. Mahagathbandhan will form the government, and together we will work to build a new Bihar," he added.
Mahagathbandhan earlier declared Tejashwi Yadav as the CM face for the Bihar assembly polls, while also naming Mukesh Sahani of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) as Deputy CM candidate.
The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections are set to witness a direct contest between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan. The NDA comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha. The Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), includes Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation led by Dipankar Bhattacharya, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Mukesh Sahani's VIP.
Additionally, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party has announced that it will contest all 243 Assembly seats in the state. The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with vote counting is scheduled for November 14. (ANI)