RJD declares Tejashwi Yadav as CM nominee, Congress upset

Patna: The Congress party on Tuesday expressed its disagreement over Tejashwi Yadav being declared as the RJD’s chief ministerial candidate in Bihar. The issue was raised during the crucial grand alliance meeting which was held for the first time after the Lok Sabha polls results.

Sources said that political parties also criticised the RJD for not coordinating with partners who had joined the grand alliance ahead of Lok Sabha polls. HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, who had recently announced his decision to contest assembly elections alone, was also present in the meeting.

According to a senior Congress leader, “the party has been upset with the RJD especially Tejashwi Yadav for missing from the political scene for more than a month. Being a leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, he should have been in Bihar to corner the government on many issues. Time has come when we should also strengthen our political base in the state instead of banking on others”.

The meeting was held at the residence of RJD national vice-president and former chief minister Rabri Devi where her younger son and leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, state president of the party Ram Chandra Purve and senior leader Jagdanand Singh were present.

Congress was represented by its state unit chief Madan Mohan Jha and senior party leader Virendra Rathod while RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi and Mukesh Sahani of the Vikasheel Insan Party (VIP) also attended the meeting.

This was the first time when grand alliance partners sat together since the Lok Sabha poll debacle in which the NDA won 39 out 40 seats in Bihar.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr Manjhi had said that “the RJD made a mistake by ignoring burning issues in the state. The party should have met earlier instead of calling a meeting now”.

However, after the meeting, he said that, “it has been decided that a review meeting will be held regularly and the grand alliance will contest the bypolls and the Assembly elections together”.

The grand alliance partners are likely to meet again next month to work out a strategy for the by-elections which is to be held in November on five Assembly seats.