Bihar elections 2025: Tejashwi Yadav named CM face of Mahagathbandhan, RJD leader says...

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has been named the Chief Ministerial face for the Mahagathbandhan alliance ahead of the Bihar assembly polls 2025 after days of speculation. During a key media presser in Bihar's Patna, Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani has been declared the Deputy CM candidate for the RJD-led alliance - a key demand made by the VIP leader. The Bihar assembly polls are scheduled to be held in two phases, on November 6 and 11, respectively, with counting of votes set to be held on November 14. During the press conference in Bihar's Patna, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said that Tejashwi Yadav will be the Mahagathbandhan's CM face in Bihar. Tejashwi Yadav targeted the BJP-led NDA for not declaring the Chief Ministerial candidates. "BJP won't make Nitish Kumar Chief Minister again," said the RJD leader, adding that the NDA has no roadmap for the state. Yadav, the former Deputy CM of Bihar, expressed confidence that he would deliver in 20 months what others couldn't in 20 years. Many prominent leaders of Mahagathbandhan and the INDIA bloc were present on the occasion, including CPI (ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram, Bihar Congress incharge Krishna Allavaru, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha, and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) convenor Mukesh Sahani, among others. Sahani who heads the Vikasheel Insaan Pary has been named as the Deputy CM nominee from the Mahagathbandhan. "I was awaiting this moment for 3.5 years. The moment has now come. Not just VIP or Mukesh Sahani, lakhs of people of the party were waiting for this. BJP broke our party and poached our MLAs...At that time, we had pledged with Ganga jal in our hands - 'BJP ko jab tak hum todenge nahi, tab tak chhoddenge nahi'...Time has come, standing strong with Mahagathbandhan, we will form our Govt in Bihar and oust BJP from the state. Mahagathbandhan is united and strong. In the time to come, we will work and form our Government," he said. CPML leader Deepankar Bhattacharya said, "The people of Bihar have been waiting for the elections for a long time. This election is for the youth, farmers, women, and the poor... We want to assure the people that Bihar is ready... This Mahagathbandhan will fight unitedly to win the election." 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. With inputs from ANI