Bihar election live updates: My only dream is to make Bihar number 1, says Tejashwi Yadav

After the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar announced Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) Tejashwi Yadav as their Chief Ministerial candidate, Janata Dal (United) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha took a jibe saying one dynastic party (Congress) has declared a CM face from another dynastic party. "There is no vacancy for the Chief Minister's post. Nitish Kumar will remain the CM from 2025 to 2030. A dynastic party, Congress, has declared a person from another dynastic party as the CM candidate. The people of Bihar understand everything," he said.

Four Mahagathbandhan candidates - three from Congress and one from the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), withdraw their nomination for their ally RJD. Congress candidate Satish Kumar from the Warsaliganj constituency has withdrawn his nomination for RJD's Anita. Congress' Aditya Kumar from Lalganj constituency has withdrawn his nomination for RJD's Shivani Shukla. Another Congress candidate Tauquir Alam from Pranpur constituency has withdrawn his nomination for RJD's Ishrat Parween. VIP candidate Bindu Gulab Yadav from Babubarhi constituency has withdrawn her nomination for RJD's Arun Kumar Singh.

On the announcement of RJD candidate Tejashwi Yadav from the Raghopur assembly seat as the chief ministerial face of the Mahagathbandhan, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor says, "He was always the CM face. Till the time Lalu Prasad is there, the CM will always be there from his family. There is no surprise..

Those who call themselves the 'gathbandhan' (whom the people of Bihar call the 'lathbandhan') only know how to use the lathi and keep fighting. For the 'lathbandhan,' their own self-interest is paramount. They don't care about the youth of Bihar. For decades, the youth of the country and Bihar suffered from naxalism and Maoist terror. They even kept winning elections with the help of Maoist terror. Naxalism and Maoist terror played a huge role in the destruction of Bihar. This Maoist terror did not allow schools, colleges, or hospitals to open, and instead destroyed the already built ones. They did not allow industries to enter... It is taking a lot of effort to bring Bihar out of this. But we are doing it. We have worked very hard since 2014: PM Modi

During jungleraaj, there were multiple scams. Our regime guarantees development. The previous government imprisoned Bihar's daughters within four walls. Therefore, it is crucial to keep them away from power ... Over 12 million sisters have already received Rs 10,000 each in their bank accounts to start their own businesses. After coming to power on November 14, a new era of women's empowerment will begin in Bihar. PM Modi

All this power is the power of one vote. That vote has created such a situation in India that today the Ram Mandir has been built. Operation Sindoor has also been carried out, and the country is moving forward rapidly towards freedom from Naxalism: PM Modi

After removing jungleraaj, today the people of Bihar under no circumstances want to allow it to return ...  this is the power of the conscious citizens of Bihar ... This is the power of the vote: PM Modi

Amidst the festive fervour, preparations for the worship of Chhathi Maiya are also in full swing. Alongside all this, Bihar is also celebrating the grand festival of democracy. This is an election to write a new chapter of Bihar's prosperity. The youth of Bihar have a very significant role in this: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with workers from Bihar through the 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot' programe.

Bihar deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary accused RJD supremo Lalu Prasad of resorting to hooliganism to get his son Tejashwi named as the Mahagathbandhan's CM face. "Lalu Yadav declared the CM face of Mahagathbandhan through hooliganism, torturing Congress and other parties ... just the way RJD spread jungle raaj in Bihar ... Now, his son, a registered criminal, is envisioning himself as the CM. This is a shameful day for democracy," he said.

Bihar deputy CM Samrat Choudhary on Thursday took a dig at Mahagathbandhan's CM face decision and said that Lalu Prasad wants people from his family only to be the Chief Minister. "This was understood from the very beginning. People of Bihar know that Lalu Prasad Yadav will never give the reins to anyone except his family. They kept announcing candidates for all constituencies and simultaneously stood adamant on the CM's face. This is what anarchy is ... Lalu Prasad Yadav wants only people from his family to be the CM," he said.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that there was no confusion about the Mahagathbandhan's CM face while taking a dig at NDA for not announcing its CM name. "We've never been confused about this. We're clear on this matter. But the question is, who will be the NDA's face? So far, no joint press conference has been held, no vision has been revealed, no agenda has been announced, and no Chief Minister has been announced. Amit Shah's statement clearly shows that Nitish Kumar is not going to be made Chief Minister. He stated that after the elections, the MLAs of the legislative party will choose their leader. BJP doesn't want Nitish Kumar to become Chief Minister," he said.

RJD leader and Mahagathbandhan's CM face Tejashwi Yadav said his only dream is to make Bihar number 1 in the country. "We have only one goal - to make Bihar number one. To achieve this, our 14 crore Biharis will have to think as one. We don't make broken or false promises, and we don't speak baselessly. I am a man of my word. I will do what I say ... My only dream is to make Bihar number one," he said.

BJP chief JP Nadda on Thursday said that the assembly elections in Bihar will be a fight between 'Vikaas' (development) of the NDA and 'Vinaash' (destruction) of the INDIA bloc. Addressing a rally in Aurangabad district, Nadda lashed out at the Congress, accusing it of being a "parasitic party that finishes off its junior alliance partners". The senior BJP leader attacked the RJD, saying the Lalu Prasad-led party stands for 'Rangdari' (extortion), 'Jungle raj' (anarchy) and 'Dadagiri' (intimidation).

Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief and Mahagathbandhan's deputy CM face Mukesh Sahani on Thursday thanked the top leaders of INDIA bloc and said that time has come to finally oust BJP from Bihar. "I thank the top leaders and colleagues of our alliance ... In 2020, government was formed in Bihar with our support. Had it not been for us, Nitish Kumar would not have been the CM in 2020. I was offered the Deputy CM post even then. At that time, I turned down the offer because I believed that I wouldn't take up the position by doing something wrong with someone...We were ousted from a government that we held form...We continued fighting in Bihar, and we pledged with gangajal in our hand that we will oust BJP from Bihar, the time has now come..."

“Injustice is being done with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. No press conferences or confirmation of CM face has been done yet by NDA. We have been saying for a long time that Nitish Kumar will not be made the next Chief Minister. This has been confirmed by none other than Union Home Minister Amit Shah himself,” Tejashwi Yadav said at the presser.

Tejashwi Yadav accused the NDA of lacking a clear vision for Bihar’s development, alleging that the alliance is merely copying the poll promises of the INDIA bloc.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says, "We, the people of Mahagathbandhan, do not just want to form the govt or become the CM, but we want to make Bihar, that is why we are together... I thank all the members of the Mahagathbandhan for showing trust in me. I want to tell all of them that I will do everything possible to live up to your expectations and together we will throw the 20-year-old government that is currently in power..."

At the Mahagathbandhan press conference, Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram says, "... The people of Bihar have been waiting for the elections for a long time. This election is for the youth, farmers, women, and the poor... We want to assure the people that Bihar is ready... This Mahagathbandhan will fight unitedly to win the election..."

At Mahagathbandhan's joint press conference, VIP Chief Mukesh Sahani says, "...I was awaiting this moment for 3.5 years. The moment has now come. Not just VIP or Mukesh Sahani, lakhs of people of the party were waiting for this. BJP broke our party and poached our MLAs...At that time, we had pledged with Ganga jal in our hands - 'BJP ko jab tak hum todenge nahi, tab tak chhoddenge nahi'...Time has come, standing strong with Mahagathbandhan, we will form our Govt in Bihar and oust BJP from the state. Mahagathbandhan is united and strong. In the time to come, we will work and form our Government."

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Congress observer for Bihar elections, Ashok Gehlot, VIP Chief Mukesh Sahani and other leaders present.

On Bihar election and Mahagathbandhan seat distribution row, Congress leader Sachin Pilot says, "... Rahul Gandhi and Kharge have dedicated this year to strengthening the unity of the Congress party. We have undertaken extensive exercises within the party, involving all members and gathering their feedback. Mahagathbandhan is united, regardless of seat distribution. Public support is with us, and matters have been resolved. The right decision will be made at the appropriate time. We expect vigilance from the Election Commission and call for transparency in the electoral process."

On Mahagathbandhan press conference, VIP Chief Mukesh Sahani says, "Why would I have a problem with anything? Can't you tolerate so much happiness on my face? Mahagathbandhan is moving forward very strongly."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach out to the youth in Bihar in an interactive session on Thursday evening as part of the campaign for the assembly elections next month.

On BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari's tweet regarding Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's photo missing from posters put up at the venue of Mahagathbandhan press conference, Congress leader Udit Raj says, "Rahul Gandhi is going to be the main person to hold election campaigns in Bihar for RJD and others. We should not go on these photos. Pradeep Bhandari will get an answer when the time is right."

"The people of Bihar are keeping a strict watch on all the activities of political parties. There is infighting in the 'Mahalathbandhan'. No matter how much they try to explain to the public that they are united, the public has understood that the party that cannot divide seats will not be able to run the government..."

“The INDIA alliance in Bihar is fully united and is contesting the elections with strength. On October 23, the full situation will be clarified in the Mahagathbandhan’s press conference,” Gehlot said.

Bhagirath Manjhi, son of ‘Mountain Man’ Dashrath Manjhi, today alleged that he was denied a Congress ticket for the Bihar Assembly polls despite an assurance from party leader Rahul Gandhi. Speaking to reporters, Bhagirath Manjhi claimed he had stayed in Delhi for four days, met the leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, and submitted the required documents, but was not given a ticket.

LJP(RV) chief and Union Minister Chirag Paswan said, "There is so much going on in their alliance (Mahagathbandhan), and where is Rahul Gandhi? Was it not the moral responsibility of Rahul ji and Tejashwi Yadav to sit together and clear bottlenecks in the alliance? This shows a lack of seriousness on the part of the Congress."

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has also been hit by similar setbacks. The nomination of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) candidate Seema Singh was cancelled from the Marhaura seat in Saran district over document inconsistencies. Singh, considered a key face of Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s party in the region, was among five nominees whose papers were rejected during scrutiny.

Election Commission officials said the cancellation followed findings that Suman was a native of Uttar Pradesh and therefore ineligible to contest from Mohania, a seat reserved for Scheduled Castes in Bihar. The Commission also cited discrepancies in her caste certificate, sources revealed.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday refuted claims of a rift within the Mahagathbandhan, reportedly over the seat-sharing pact and the chief ministerial candidate.

The Opposition Mahagathbandhan has not yet announced a seat-sharing pact for the Bihar Election, even as the nomination for the first of the polls has ended. The Congress and the RJD have already released candidate lists, while Tejashwi Yadav has filed his nomination from the Raghopur assembly seat.