In Rahul Gandhi’s Presence, Tejashwi Yadav Declares Himself Bihar CM Face, Slams Nitish as ‘Copycat’

In a bold political move, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday declared himself the chief ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The announcement was made during a rally in Ara, which marked the final leg of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra,’ and was attended by prominent opposition figures including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Addressing the crowd, Tejashwi positioned himself as the “original” leader, taking a direct swipe at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whom he labeled a “copycat CM” for allegedly imitating his policies. “Do you want an original Chief Minister or a duplicate?” Tejashwi asked the cheering audience, before asserting his leadership for the alliance, even as Rahul Gandhi looked on from the stage. “Tejashwi is moving ahead. The government is following behind,” he proclaimed.

The self-nomination came amid growing curiosity over the opposition’s leadership question, as Rahul Gandhi and the Congress had previously remained non-committal on endorsing Tejashwi for the top post. This silence was widely interpreted as being linked to ongoing, and potentially difficult, seat-sharing negotiations between the RJD and Congress.

However, Tejashwi received unequivocal backing from Akhilesh Yadav, who expressed full support for his candidacy. “We will cooperate fully with Tejashwi Yadav… May he form the next government and take Bihar on the path to progress,” Akhilesh stated, praising Tejashwi’s track record on job creation during his tenure as Deputy Chief Minister. He added that if Tejashwi wins, “it would be the turn of the BJP to migrate from the state.”