Bihar Mahagathbandhan: Tejashwi Yadav to be CM Face, Seat Sharing Suspense Ends Today

A significant press conference by Bihar's Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) is scheduled for 11:30 AM today in Patna, while during this event, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is set to be officially unveiled as the Chief Ministerial face of the alliance. This announcement is also expected to resolve the long-standing suspense surrounding seat allocation, bringing clarity to the internal dynamics of the coalition. Posters at the press conference venue exclusively feature Tejashwi Yadav, highlighting his central role in the upcoming elections.

Joint Election Program and Consensus

Alongside the CM face announcement, a joint election program will also be declared. It's anticipated that the alliance will affirm its commitment to fielding a single Mahagathbandhan candidate on most seats, while for constituencies where 'friendly fights' have emerged, there may be an agreement for candidates to withdraw their nominations, though some strategic candidate placements could still occur if deemed beneficial for the alliance. All constituent parties are expected to acknowledge any past coordination shortcomings in seat distribution.

Gehlot's Meeting with Lalu and Tejashwi

Ahead of the press conference, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Allavaru contacted the Congress high command. Yesterday, October 22, Gehlot met with Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, while following the meeting, he stated that discussions with Tejashwi were positive and all matters would be clarified today. He emphasized that there were no disputes within the alliance and that. All parties would campaign together, presenting a united front in the elections.

Internal Strife and BJP's Criticism

Until recently, the Mahagathbandhan faced internal conflicts, with alliance candidates contesting against each other in 13 seats. The most prominent clashes involved RJD and Congress candidates, while some seats also saw contests between Congress and CPI, and VIP and RJD. The Mahagathbandhan has fielded a total of 252 candidates across 243 seats, with RJD having 143, Congress 61, CPI ML 20, CPI 9, CPM 4, and VIP 15 candidates, while the BJP, through spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla, criticized the absence of Rahul Gandhi from the posters, stating that it 'deleted' Rahul and other leaders, indicating that Congress's 'respect has been stolen'.