Bihar Election 2020: Tejashwi Yadav's 'Nalanda' challenge for Nitish Kumar

Patna, Oct 14: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who has been chosen by the anti-NDA grouping as its chief ministerial candidate, has challenged four-time Chief MinisterNitish Kumar from his home turf Nalanda.

Tejashwi is seeking re- election from Raghopur seat he won on his maiden outing in electoral politics in 2015.

"Let him select any one constituency from home district Nalanda and I will contest against him," the 30-year-old said today while filing his nomination from Raghopur assembly seat.

Taking a swipe at chief minister Nitish Kumar, the RJD leader described him as "bechara mukhya mantri" (helpless chief minister) who he said failed to win either special status for Bihar from the union government or a central university status for the Patna university.

Tejashwi, who was leader of the opposition in the outgoing assembly, reiterated before media persons in the state capital that his future government would approve 10 lakh jobs in the government for youths in its very first cabinet.

"Let Nitish jee laugh at our promise (of 10 lakh jobs)...we are theht (pure) Bihari and fulfill what we say," he said. "Even after winning more seats than JD(U) in the last assembly polls, the RJD kept its promise of making him (Kumar) chief minister", he said to drive home his point.

Yadav is up against BJP's Satish Kumar who had emerged as a giant killer after defeating former chief minister Rabri Devi from the same seat in the 2010 polls, had lost to Lalu Prasad''s younger son last time. But, at that time BJP was fighting alone and Tejashwi was a nominee of the grand alliance which then comprised of RJD, JD(U) and the Congress.

Located on the bank of river Ganga across capital Patna, Raghopur is a yadav dominated constituency which Lalu Prasad represented in the assembly twice since 1995 and his wife Rabri Devi from 2005-10.

But, the seat went to Satish Kumar, a fellow casteman, in 2010 when BJP and JD(U) were together in the NDA. The contest is expected to get fierce as Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), which has dissociated itself from the ruling NDA in Bihar, has decided to field Rakesh Roshan as its nominee from the seat.

Bihar will vote on October 28, November 3 and 7 for a new government and the results will be announced on November 10.