Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Hints Passing Leadership To RJ(D) Leader Tejashwi Yadav

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday hinted on passing the state's leadership to his deputy Tejashwi Yadav. 

Tejashwi is currently the Deputy Chief Minister of Nitish-led 'Mahagatbandhan' government in Bihar. He is the younger son of Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. 

Janta Dal (United) leader Nitish also clarified that he is not in the race to become the prime minister. He maintained that a "united opposition" could defeat the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2024 elections.

CPI (ML) Liberation leader Mehboob Alam said, "The chief minister pointed towards Tejashwi ji and said he is the leader of the future, under whose leadership the 2025 assembly polls in the state would be fought. We are of the view that it will benefit the grand alliance which is fighting the communal forces represented by the BJP. Tejashwi ji is a young and energetic leader."

Alam is the legislature party leader of the CPI (ML) Liberation, which supports the Nitish-led coalition government from outside.

Earlier in August, Nitish snapped ties with the BJP in Bihar and joined the RJD-led bloc to form government. While Nitish continued as Chief Minister of Bihar, Tejashwi was inducted as Deputy Chief Minister. Though Nitish heads the government, he is a junion partner in the coalition as RJD has the maximum MLAs in the coalition. In the 243-seat Bihar assembly, RJD is the single-largest party with 79 seats and Nitish's JD(U) has just 43.

Following Nitish's move, there were voices within JD(U) that projected him as a potential prime ministerial face of an Opposition front.

However, Nitish has repeatedly clarified that he is not not in the prime ministerial race.

"The chief minister has been saying, for quite a while, that the future belongs to Tejashwi ji and youngsters like him. He had said so yesterday in Nalanda where I, too, was present. He said it again today," said Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, one of the closest aides of Kumar, who also holds key portfolios in the state cabinet.

Chaudhary was referring to Kumar's speech on the previous day when the latter had inaugurated a dental hospital in his home district and spoken about backing Tejashwi Yadav.

Tejashwi, however, showed characteristic composure when approached for comments by journalists.

"At present, we are running the government together. And we need to concentrate on the principal challenge before us, and that is the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," said Yadav.

Chaudhary also said that at the legislators' meet, Nitish "made it clear again that he was not in the race for prime ministership. But he still feels the BJP can be defeated in 2024 if the opposition stands united. And he will continue to work in that direction".

Meanwhile, the BJP, which has been sore over the loss of power it suffered as a result of the upheaval in August this year, sought to drive a wedge between Kumar and the RJD.

"If Nitish Kumar wants to make someone his successor, he should show the moral courage to actually hand over power. He will not be able to do so because it would lead to a revolt in the JD(U). His party men are already upset over Tejashwi running the show through remote control," said Nitin Nabin, BJP MLA and former minister.

Another former BJP minister Jibesh Kumar raked up the installation as CM of Jitan Ram Manjhi, and unceremonious removal thereafter, by Kumar and asserted, "Nitish Kumar is not someone who can stay without power. He is only hoodwinking Tejashwi. Take it from me in writing." 

(With PTI inputs)