‘Why no announcement on CM face?’: Tejashwi Yadav questions NDA’s silence on Nitish Kumar

Tejashwi Yadav

After he was announced Mahagathbandhan's CM face for the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav hit out at the ruling NDA, asking why it has remained silent on projecting Nitish Kumar as its chief ministerial candidate.

"The BJP will not make Nitish Kumar the chief minister again, and no one else has confirmed this, but Amit Shah has stated this multiple times," said Yadav, addressing a joint briefing of the opposition on Thursday.

The RJD leader further added: "The NDA has been in power for 20 consecutive years. You've always announced the chief ministerial candidate. Why aren't you announcing Nitish Kumar as the chief ministerial candidate this time?... After the elections, these people will destroy the JD(U) as well. The party will cease to exist."

The NDA has repeatedly said that the Bihar elections are being fought under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, yet doubts linger over his continuation as chief minister post-polls. Asked who would lead the government if the NDA returns to power, home minister Amit Shah clarified that the legislative party would decide after the elections.

"Injustice is being done to Nitish Kumar in the NDA. Not even a single joint press conference has been held. No official announcement has been made for their CM face. We have been saying from the beginning that the people of the BJP are not going to make Nitish Kumar the chief minister," claimed Tejashwi.

Tejashwi Yadav was declared the CM candidate for the assembly elections in Bihar during the joint briefing held on Thursday. Meanwhile, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) convenor Mukesh Sahani has been named as the Deputy CM nominee from the Mahagathbandhan.

Assembly polls in Bihar will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the results to be declared on November 14. The 2025 Bihar elections will have the main contest between the National Democratic Alliance and the Mahagathbandhan.

NDA includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.

Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD, includes Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).

Additionally, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party has also staked claims on all 243 seats of the state.