Tejashwi Yadav Declares Himself CM Face Of Grand Alliance, Rahul Gandhi Maintains Silence

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday unilaterally announced himself as the chief ministerial face of the Grand Alliance in Bihar, even as Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav stood beside him on stage in Ara. Rahul Gandhi, who has so far avoided clarifying his position on the chief ministerial candidate issue, remained silent during the declaration.

Tejashwi's Attack on Nitish Kumar

Addressing the crowd, Tejashwi Yadav launched a strong offensive against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, branding him a "copycat Chief Minister" who simply imitates others' policies. "Tejashwi is moving ahead. The government is following behind," he said, adding that Nitish Kumar lacked originality and was merely replicating his initiatives.

Original vs Duplicate Debate

Tejashwi further asked the audience whether they wanted an "original Chief Minister" or a "duplicate CM," pitching himself as the "original" choice to lead Bihar. The remarks signaled his determination to emerge as the undisputed leader of the Grand Alliance despite Congress's hesitation on endorsing a CM face.

The 'Vote Theft' Row

The rally also coincided with Rahul Gandhi's ongoing march against what he and his allies describe as "vote theft" in Bihar. The protest targets the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The yatra, which began on August 17 in Sasaram, has so far passed through over a dozen districts including Gaya, Nawada, Darbhanga, and Purnea, and will conclude in Patna after covering Bhojpur.

Rahul Gandhi accused the ECI of colluding with the BJP to manipulate elections. "We will not let you steal the election in Bihar. You stole in Maharashtra. You stole in Haryana. In Karnataka, we clearly showed that votes were stolen. We will not let it happen here," he said.

Echoing this, Tejashwi attacked the ECI, calling it "Godi Aayog" and accusing it of acting like a BJP cell. "To save democracy, the Constitution, and the right to vote, we have set out on this yatra. The credibility of the Election Commission has ended," he asserted.