New Delhi – With the Bihar Assembly elections 2025 approaching, the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and other allied parties, is yet to declare its chief ministerial face. The question remains open: will the alliance rally behind Tejashwi Yadav or Rahul Gandhi, or will it delay the announcement until post-poll negotiations?
According to sources, a crucial meeting was recently held in Delhi between RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The discussions primarily revolved around seat-sharing arrangements and the strategy for presenting a united front in Bihar. However, no final decision was taken regarding the CM face.
The RJD, being the largest party in the alliance in Bihar, is strongly backing Tejashwi Yadav, who previously served as Deputy Chief Minister and has emerged as a mass leader among Bihar’s youth and backward classes. On the other hand, the Congress, while not directly opposing Tejashwi, has shown reluctance in making an early endorsement. The party is believed to be negotiating for a larger share of seats—reportedly seeking around 70 constituencies.
Insiders say that the Congress is also eyeing influential constituencies where it performed well in previous elections and does not want to be seen as playing a secondary role in the alliance. This has led to delays in finalising both seat-sharing and leadership announcements.
A follow-up coordination meeting of the Mahagathbandhan is expected to be held in Patna later this month, where leaders from RJD, Congress, CPI, CPI(M), and CPI(ML) will come together to iron out differences. Sources close to the alliance suggest that the issue of the CM candidate may be postponed to avoid internal friction, with a focus on presenting a joint agenda and campaign strategy first.
It is worth noting that the Mahagathbandhan aims to challenge the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who recently returned to the BJP-led fold after a series of political realignments.
For now, the Mahagathbandhan appears focused on unity and coordination. However, the absence of a declared CM face continues to raise questions about leadership clarity within the alliance, especially as BJP begins its early campaigning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s face leading the charge.
