'Won't Contest Polls Without CM Face': Tejashwi Yadav's Big Remark Ahead Of Bihar Elections

Last Updated:September 20, 2025, 08:19 IST

Tejashwi Yadav says the Grand Alliance will declare a Chief Ministerial face before Bihar polls.

RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav (Image: PTI/file photo)

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has made it clear that the Grand Alliance will not contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections without declaring a Chief Ministerial face.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV during his supplementary Adhikar Yatra, a follow-up to the recently concluded opposition march, Yadav stated, “Are we the BJP that we do not have any faces? We definitely will not contest the elections without projecting a Chief Ministerial face."

Yadav, who has publicly backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial face of the broader opposition INDIA bloc, has yet to receive a similar endorsement for himself in Bihar. While his support for Gandhi has stirred some unease among alliance partners, Gandhi himself has refrained from naming Yadav as the alliance’s CM pick.

When questioned about this lack of reciprocity, Yadav remained unfazed. “Wait a little bit. It is the people who would decide on the Chief Minister. But having a Chief Minister or a government is not the main thing. We have to build Bihar," he said.

“It makes no difference if there is a delay of five or 10 days," he added, indicating that the leadership decision will follow the conclusion of seat-sharing arrangements among alliance partners.

Still, Yadav was firm that the coalition would not go into the election leaderless. Once the seat sharing is done, this issue would also be tackled, he said, reiterating that a CM face would be named before voting begins.

Back on August 31, during a rally in Ara, Yadav had already begun making his case subtly. “This is a copycat government. We need an original CM, not a duplicate one," he had said, in a pointed jab at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

He followed up by asking the crowd, “Is it not a copycat government? Isn’t it copying me? Tejashwi is ahead; the government is behind. Do you want a duplicate CM or an original CM?"

While Congress, as a junior ally in Bihar, is unlikely to challenge Yadav’s leadership claim, Rahul Gandhi has refrained from publicly endorsing him as the Chief Ministerial face.

News politics 'Won't Contest Polls Without CM Face': Tejashwi Yadav's Big Remark Ahead Of Bihar Elections

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