Lalu Prasad Yadav Confident Tejashwi Will Become Bihar Chief Minister as State Prepares for November Elections

Bihar will hold its elections in two phases on November 6 and November 11.

Patna:

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav confidently announced on Monday that the Mahagathbandhan alliance is set to reclaim power in the state, asserting that his son, Tejashwi Yadav, will soon assume the position of Chief Minister.

In his first campaign appearance for this election season, Lalu Yadav told NDTV that the public's decision was evident and that a governmental transition would occur on November 14.

"We will form the government," the former chief minister declared to NDTV. "Tejashwi Yadav will become the Chief Minister."

Despite largely avoiding direct campaigning in recent years due to health concerns, Lalu Yadav has re-emerged as a key strategist for the Mahagathbandhan—the opposition coalition led by RJD with support from Congress and Left parties. "The election campaign is progressing very well. The alliance will win. Local leaders are performing effectively. There is tremendous public support. Tejashwi is receiving strong backing from the people," he stated, as reported by news agency ANI.

Tejashwi Yadav, the alliance's Chief Ministerial candidate, is running from the Raghopur constituency in Bihar's Vaishali district, a seat he has represented since 2015. He faces direct competition from BJP's Satish Kumar and Jan Suraaj party's Chanchal Kumar, the latter representing Prashant Kishor's political outfit.

While the RJD camp projects optimism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi intensified his criticism of the opposition during a day-long campaign in north Bihar, targeting both Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav without mentioning them by name. At a rally in Katihar, the Prime Minister accused Tejashwi Yadav of attempting to "hide the sins" of his father, noting Lalu Yadav's image was absent from RJD's campaign materials.

"What sin is he hiding by not featuring pictures of his own father, whom you claim to be such a prominent leader and was CM for years, on RJD posters? Perhaps it's because he recognizes that this big leader carries the burden of jungle raj," the PM alleged.

The Prime Minister further claimed that the RJD was "controlled by the most corrupt family in Bihar" while Congress, its ally in the INDIA bloc, was "run by the most corrupt family in the country."

Bihar will conduct its elections in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 11.