BAKHTIYARPUR, BIHAR: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, the Mahagathbandhan’s Chief Minister candidate, intensified his campaign with new populist promises and a direct attack on the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) leadership strategy in Bihar.
Speaking at a rally, Yadav promised to reduce the cost of an LPG cylinder to ₹500 and increase the old-age pension to ₹1,500 if the opposition alliance is voted to power.
In a dual-pronged attack, the RJD leader targeted the NDA for not formally announcing a Chief Ministerial candidate and specifically claimed that the BJP will not re-install JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister, even if the NDA wins the election.
“Amit Shah has said that after the election, the BJP will decide who will be the Chief Minister. One thing is clear, these people are not going to make Nitish Kumar ji chief minister,” Yadav stated, referring to Kumar as ‘chacha ji’ (uncle). He added that he was “saddened” by the “unfair” treatment of Kumar by the BJP, suggesting the JD(U) chief has been “hijacked” by the saffron party.
Making an anti-corruption and governance pitch, Yadav criticized the two decades of NDA rule in Bihar, citing rising unemployment, corruption, and the state’s lowest per capita income. He promised voters a “corruption-free” government under the Mahagathbandhan, assuring the people of Bihar an administration focused on providing better education, medicine, and jobs.