Bihar Assembly lections 2025: The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled for the end of 2025, and there’s a visible rift within the Congress party regarding who will be the Chief Minister's face of the Mahagathbandhan. Two days ago, the Bihar Congress in-charge stated that the CM face will be decided collectively in the meeting of INDIA bloc. However, this statement has led to a clash among Congress leaders in Bihar.
Congress MLA Ajit Sharma stated that the CM face for the Mahagathbandhan has not yet been decided. However, right in front of him, another Congress MLA, Munna Tiwari dismissed Ajit Sharma’s statement. Munna Tiwari said that Rahul Gandhi had already declared Tejashwi Yadav as the CM face.
Ruckus over CM face in Congress
In a press conference, Congress MLA Munna Tiwari said, "The decision has already been made, and it has been announced that the INDIA bloc will contest the elections in Bihar with full strength." He further mentioned that there is no room for debate as the official announcement was made in Delhi, where it was declared that Tejashwi Yadav would be the CM face. “So why aren’t they accepting it?” Munna Tiwari added. According to him, they believe that Tejashwi Yadav will be the CM face.
On the other hand, Congress leader Tariq Anwar gave a statement saying that in Bihar, the party with the majority will decide the Chief Minister. He further clarified that the party with the most seats will form the government and, hence, its leader will become the CM. He emphasised that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) would be contesting more seats, so if they win, their leader will become the CM.
NDA starts election preparations
While there is turmoil in Congress over the CM's face, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has already started preparing for the elections. On Wednesday (March 26), an NDA leaders’ meeting was held in Delhi, where election preparations were discussed. Two central ministers, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan, stated that the NDA would contest elections on around 225 seats in Bihar. Chirag Paswan confidently declared that the NDA would win a historic victory. He reiterated that "NDA is a winning combination," and all five alliance parties had proven their mettle in the by-elections, maintaining a 100 per cent strike rate.
The political landscape in Bihar is heating up as both the Mahagathbandhan and the NDA gear up for the upcoming Assembly elections of the state. Within the Congress, a clear divide has emerged over the CM face, with some leaders supporting Tejashwi Yadav, while others suggest that the CM will be decided based on the party with the majority. On the other hand, the NDA is confident of a sweeping victory and is already setting its sights on a strong showing in the 2025 elections.