Bihar: In Big Hint, Nitish Says Tejashwi to Lead Mahagathbandhan in 2025 Assembly Polls

Patna: In a significant political development, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday put an end to all speculation when he
announced that the ruling Mahagathbandhan would contest the 2025 Assembly polls under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Tehashwi Yadav. Kumar has also made it clear in the meeting of the Mahagathbandhan legislature party that he was not a prime ministerial candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“Hum log ko 2025 ke Assembly chunav mein Tejashwi ko aage karna hai. Tejashwi ke netritva mein chunav lada jayega” (We will promote or push forward Tejashwi in the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls, it will be contested under the leadership of Tejashwi, he will lead us), Kumar is reported to have said in the joint meeting of Mahagathbandhan’s MLAs and MLCs. The meeting was held on the first day of the winter session of the Assembly to chalk out a strategy to counter the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance in Bihar consists of Janata Dal (United) of Nitish Kumar, Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad/Tejashwi Yadav, Hindustani Awam Manch of Jitan Ram Manjhi, Congress, Left and some socialist parties.

Kumar’s announcement is bound to generate political heat in the state at a time when cold winds are slowly affecting normal life.

The JD(U) leader’s announcement comes a day after he spoke about the future role of Tejashwi in the government at an official function in his home district of Nalanda. Kumar reportedly said on Monday, after inaugurating a dental college, that he had been carrying on development work in all sectors but whatever was left or not completed, would be done by Tejashwi. By saying so, Kumar hinted at Tejashwi’s future role, which is widely seen as a next chief minister of the state.

Interestingly, a string of BJP leaders have been warning Tejashwi that Kumar will never give him a chance to become the next CM as he will not vacate the chair. But, Kumar’s latest announcement could create some more trouble for BJP which has been eyeing to make a dent in the Yadav support base of ailing RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Yadavs are powerful OBCs (Other Backward Class) that along with Muslims, Extremely Backward Classes and dalits make a strong social support base in the state.

After August 2022, when Kumar dumped his coalition partner BJP and joined hands with the Opposition Mahagathbandhan to form the government, it was being speculated in political circles as well as in local Hindi dailies here that Kumar would say goodbye to state politics and was likely to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 general elections.

Even some RJD leaders repeatedly claimed publicly that Tejashwi would replace Kumar sooner than later.

It is a different matter that Kumar has once again denied that he will be prime ministerial candidate in 2024, that too when just two days ago his party, in its national council meeting, projected him as the future PM. In the past, too, Kumar denied that he was interested in the PM’s post and termed it as mere speculation.

“I am not the prime ministerial candidate (2024) or Chief Ministerial candidate (2025). My goal is to defeat BJP by uniting the Opposition”, Kumar told the Mahagathbandhan MLAs and MLCs, as per sources.

Manjhi’s HAM has supported Kumar as the Opposition PM candidate and RJD has also backed him.

Sensing this as a political move to challenge Narendra Modi, several BJP leaders, including Union ministers, former ministers and party MPs and MLAs, have been attacking Kumar on several issues. There is a buzz that state BJP leaders have been asked by the Central leadership to “expose and embarrass” Kumar without miss on a daily basis for joining hands with the Mahagathbandhan.

Ironically, BJP leaders have been targeting Kumar, who was their ally till August 9, 2022, and have been blaming him for poor governance and poor law and order in the state. Interestingly, BJP has also started raising issues, such as unemployment, for which their own party has been under fire across the country.