"Tejashwi Yadav's leadership yet to be tested, doesn't inspire any hope": RS Dy Chairman Harivansh ahead of Bihar polls

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 17 (ANI): Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and senior JD-U leader Harivansh on Friday took a dig at Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and said he held important responsibilities as Bihar Deputy Chief Minister but did not leave a mark, and his leadership doesn't inspire any hope."
In an interview with ANI, Harivansh stated that Tejashwi Yadav is contesting the elections, but his independent leadership is yet to be tested.
"...Tejashwi Yadav is contesting the elections, but his independent leadership is yet to be tested. As Deputy Chief Minister, he held important responsibilities, but I don't believe he can leave a distinct mark. I haven't seen him present a blueprint for Bihar's development. His leadership doesn't inspire any hope," he said.
He said in the past few years, the central government has helped Bihar progress by strengthening its infrastructure.
"If we exclude Uttar Pradesh, Bihar has the largest population. Before Nitish Kumar's tenure, the opposition didn't allow infrastructure to be built, and educational institutions were destroyed, after all that happened there is an environment of industrialisation. In the past few years, the central government has helped Bihar progress, from infrastructure to modernisation. Bihar is poised to take a leap forward, and for this, we need another term. This time, we must get a majority", he said.
The RS Dy Chairman also expressed confidence in the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, claiming that there is "no alternative" to him in the state.
"There's no alternative to Nitish Kumar in Bihar. Among all the new people, if you compare Nitish's vision, no one can match him. Personal integrity and what we call transparency, if a person remains untainted for 20 years in power. No family member has been involved (in corruption). He emerged from Jayaprakash Narayan's movement and practically implement the ideals of Jayaprakash Narayan and Lohia in his life," Harivansh said.
"The Congress party inherited power from the British. Congress, on its journey of development, created a growth model. In that growth model, Bihar was kept at the margins. Bihar was not only the most agriculturally producing state in that period, but it was also prosperous in other respects. Bihar used to contribute significantly to national GDP. But if you want to know how Bihar reached that impoverished and miserable state during the Congress era, I can tell you just one thing: they extracted minerals from there," he added.
Polling for the Bihar elections 2025 will take place on November 6 and 11. The results will be announced on November 14. (ANI)