Patna: As the Mahagathbandhan prepares to hold a crucial press conference Thursday, speculation is rife that the long wait for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav’s wish to be declared the alliance’s Chief Ministerial face may finally come to an end.
The development comes on the heels of a meeting between Tejashwi Yadav, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, and the party’s Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, who met Tejashwi and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in Patna Wednesday.
The backdrop for Thursday’s press event at Patna’s Maurya Hotel adds further weight to the speculation — the banner for the press conference prominently displays the election symbols of all Mahagathbandhan partners but features only a large photograph of Tejashwi Yadav.
The banner also displays a hashtag ‘Bihar maange Tejashwi sarkar (Bihar demands Tejashwi government)’.
This will also mark the first joint press conference of the Mahagathbandhan since the announcement of the election dates.
The last time the Mahagathbandhan leaders shared the stage was during the launch of the ‘Ati Pichhda EBC Sankalp Patra’ in Patna on September 24, which saw the presence of Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, and Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahani.
Earlier, the leaders had jointly participated in Rahul Gandhi’s fortnight-long ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, which traversed more than 25 districts across Bihar.
While the Congress has refrained from commenting on the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting, alliance partner CPI(ML)’s General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya indicated growing impatience within the bloc over the delay in naming Tejashwi Yadav as the CM candidate.
“Tejashwi’s name as the Opposition’s CM candidate could be officially announced at the joint press conference on Thursday. Entire Bihar knows Tejashwi will be the CM if the Opposition bloc gets majority,” Bhattacharya stated.
Ashok Gehlot, however, has maintained a cautious stance, noting only that “all confusion” would be resolved at Thursday’s press conference.
So far, the Congress has been circumspect in naming Tejashwi Yadav as the unanimous choice of the Opposition alliance.
The party has not reciprocated Tejashwi’s gesture of publicly endorsing Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi as the alliance’s prime ministerial face for the 2024 general elections.
