Patna / Delhi: The Mahagathbandhan has formally announced Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate for the Bihar assembly elections and named Mukesh Sahani, leader of the VIP, as the alliance’s pick for deputy chief minister.
The decision was revealed at a joint press conference where senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the partners had agreed to back Tejashwi as the alliance’s CM face. Gehlot said the country and the state were facing “serious” challenges and warned that democracy itself was under strain. He also criticised the BJP’s tactics and alleged attempts to destabilise opposition governments.
Speaking at the event, Tejashwi Yadav thanked national leaders — including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi — for their support. “We are not fighting for office but to rebuild Bihar,” he said, adding that the Mahagathbandhan would uproot what he called a “20-year failed regime.” Tejashwi accused the BJP of sidelining Nitish Kumar as the NDA’s CM choice and warned of a concerted effort to weaken the Mahagathbandhan at every level.
Tejashwi also laid out a blistering critique of the incumbent dispensation’s record, citing joblessness, poverty, alleged corruption, and law-and-order failures. “Despite two decades of a double-engine government, Bihar remains among the poorest states,” he said, pledging aggressive reforms and promising that his government would prioritize jobs and governance. He reiterated campaign pledges — including employment and social welfare measures — and vowed to make rapid progress on issues his party says were neglected for years.
VIP chief Mukesh Sahani voiced confidence that the Mahagathbandhan would form the next government in Bihar and emphasised the alliance’s unity and resolve. “We will not stop until the BJP is defeated,” he said.
Senior CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya — also present — said the alliance was battle-ready and recalled past electoral setbacks that had denied the opposition power in 2020. He said the Mahagathbandhan’s seven constituent parties were united behind a “change” agenda.
The formal naming of Tejashwi as the CM face aims to crystallise the Mahagathbandhan’s campaign narrative around youth, governance and a promise of change, while marking a clear challenge to the NDA in Bihar’s high‑stakes electoral contest.
