INDI Alliance fires its Ace Missile, anoints Tejashwi Yadav as CM face

         FIRING its ace missile in the Bihar election campaign, by announcing RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav,  as candidate for Chief Minister’s  post,  the INDI Gatthbandhan has gained a vital upper hand in the state politics for next five years. The Gatthbandhan, an alliance of  over 37 political parties claiming to represent  a shade lesser than ruling NDA in the country and  about 36% vote share in the state,  hopes to encash the  anti-incumbency factor and  dwindling  health condition of  incumbent CM Nitish Kumar.

Bringing the alliance partner Congress Party  to commit its  support unequivocally,  after  a brief  meeting between RJD  supremo Laloo Yadav and  former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot,  and acceeding to a minor ally  Mukesh Sahni  (Vikassheel Insaan Party) demand for Deputy Chief Minister’s post, the Alliance hopes to  start their election campaign with a clear strategy, yet some persisting hiccups.

That  presents a tediius challenge for JDU led  NDA in the state to  announce the next Chief Minister’s face;  either to  stake its future on an old horse Nitish Kumar or  select another  stallion  from its stable  to  win the race !

Bihar, the second largest state of the Union of India, has  always played very significant role in the sub-continent’s politics,  from ancient times of the Buddha,  Smrat Ashok, Smrat Vikramaditya,  strategy Guru Chanakya,  economist Kautilya and  recent  political illuminaries like Dr. Rajendra Prasad,  Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, Babu Jagjivan Ram and many  socio-political  ideologues;  Bihar  election results could  sway the national politics either way.

Tejashvi Yadav,  son of  two time State CM and former  Union  Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav (2004-09), had been understudy  (DyCM for two terms),  to  incumbent CM Nitish Kumar earlier,  (both Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar had been bosom friends from JP Movement of 1970s  and later sharing power in the State)   and,  is  challenging to pip  his  old  uncle this time, with blessings from his father and reluctant Congress Party.  His father  Lalu Yadav,  mother Rabri Devi and he himself are facing  corruption cases in various courts on famous  Chara Scam,  illegally drawing  Govt. funds for personal use and  dishing out railway jobs for  land  transfer to himself and family members.

Bizare mathematics of Bihar politics:  Though Bihar has about 80 percent literacy rate, the  voting pattrens have always been  strictly  on cast lines. Bihar had been notorious for massive  Booth Capturing, Bogus Voting and  intimidation or deprivation from voting  since  late 1960s when voters  started to understand the Power of their Vote.

Another weapon for  capturing  power in the State has been Reservation in jobs, allocation of funds and  various scheme benefits.   Out of 13.07  crore population in Bihar, there are over  84% craving to pursue reservation  benefits (2023  State Census), leaving  just 16%  jobs and funds for upper cast Thakurs, Brahmins,  Buddhists, Christians and Jains.  And there are plenty of  leaders in each reserve  category vying for  garnering  their support in elections. On religious counts  there are over 18% Muslims,  scarcely  educated, engaged in unorganised sectors,  and unaware of  Minority  specific schemes.  These  are committed voters of  RJD, Congress, NCP yet  getting nil  leadership posts.

In recent months lot of clamour has been  heard  over ECI’s  drive for removing  bogus,  illegal Bangladeshi and  non-resident  voters who  have settled down  in other states, cities for jobs. SIR (Special Intensive Revision)  in Voter lists by the Election Commission of India for Bihar found about 65 lakh voters  in draft electoral roles in July-August 2025,   not eligible to vote. The final Rolls  have listed  7.42 crore eligible  voters, after deleting  47 lakh names and enroling  30,000 new voters, as on Sept. 30.

Will Congress Party settle for Piggyback Ride   in Bihar ?  The ‘relentless warrior’  of  recent pre-election campaigns  Rahul Gandhi, who led  Vote Chori,  anti-SIR tirade,  mud-slinging over Election Commission of India in recent months, moving Supreme Court  to  intervene,  seems to have  taken the back seat when the real  Contest begins,  contesting only 61 seats (some of which have  ‘friendly contests’ within the INDI Alliance) out of 243. RJD is fighting 143, more than half of the total  seats, indicating the big brother role and,  may pick and choose its cabinet  (if  gets majority  figure  of 122).

With HAM’s Mukesh Sahni  getting ‘allocation’ of  Dy. CM’s post  in the post-election INDI Alliance formation,  it seems the  second largest National political party  has lost the bargain. In yesterday’s  important announcement, the Party sent a lower rank leader Ashok  Gehlot  to endorse  candidatures of  Tejashwi Yadav as  CM  and  Sahni as Dy. CM, instead of  Party President Mallikarjun   Kharge or former presidents Sonia Gandhi or  Rahul Gandhi or even Priyanka Gandhi  adding their  consent to  the election mathematics  or  strategy.

By this  declaration, the ruling JDU -BJP alliance in the State  has been placed in a  precarious  position;  to re-hash  its election  strategy.  BJP  has many  popular national and state leaders  to lead from the front, JDU  won’t allow that  nor  the CM Nitish Kumar won’t  drop its aspirations to  return  as CM after November elections scheduled for 6th and 11th.  NDA’s  modern election  strategist ‘Chankya’,  Amit Shah  will have a tough time  tacking the Bihar   imboglio.

Other players in the State viz., Jan Suraj’s  Prashant Kishore, AIMIM’s  Asasuddin Owaisi  or  SP’s  Akhilsh Yadav  may have to  watch the match from sidelines or  hope for  some divine dividends!

                                                                                                                      —– Editor

• pic credit-india.com and tv9hindi.com.