- Congress' Udit Raj rubbishes reports RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is the opposition's chief ministerial candidate
- The RJD has made it clear Yadav is its pick for the top job, but the Congress has not agreed so far
- Across the aisle, Nitish Kumar is widely expected to be sworn in again, if the BJP-JDU alliance retains power
The Bihar election is less than 30 days away and the opposition Mahagathbandhan - consisting primarily of the Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress - remains a 'work-in-progress', battling uncertainty over who will be the alliance's chief ministerial candidate.
Congress leader Udit Raj was the latest to stoke that uncertainty, telling news agency PTI Tuesday morning that while Tejashwi Yadav may be his party's pick for Chief Minister, he isn't yet the pick of the INDIA bloc, the national-level anti-BJP front led by the Congress and which includes the RJD.
"He may be the chief ministerial face for the RJD... but the INDIA bloc's chief ministerial face will be decided collectively," Raj said in response to a question about Yadav being formalised as the face of the opposition's campaign, now the Election Commission has announced voting and counting dates.
"Look, any supporter of any party can do that (name that party's leader a Chief Minister) ... but the India bloc's candidate has not been decided. Let us see what the Congress HQ decides."
Neither the RJD nor Yadav have responded to Udit Raj's jab, which comes weeks after Yadav told NDTV, in no uncertain terms, "we will not contest without projecting a chief ministerial face".
READ | "Won't Contest Polls Without Chief Minister Face": Tejashwi Yadav
But this rumbling over the chief ministerial face has been around for months now.
Outside of the RJD-Congress wheelhouse, Yadav is widely seen as the only realistic option - the only opposition leader with enough influence and support, both from political leaders and the people, to effectively challenge Janata Dal United boss and veteran Nitish Kumar for the top job.
That he - the son of party patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav and a two-time ex-Deputy Chief Minister - led the RJD to 75 seats (out of 243) in 2020, is seen as adding to his credentials.
NDTV Explains | Why Is The Congress Reluctant To Endorse Tejashwi Yadav?
But the Congress has stubbornly refused to publicly endorse Tejashwi Yadav in that category, insisting the question is still up for discussion, and will be answered at a later (undefined) stage.
In August the Congress' Rahul Gandhi sidestepped that question, telling reporters, "INDIA bloc partners are working... without tension. We will contest together and the results will be good."
Tejashwi Yadav was sitting by Rahul Gandhi's side at the time.
The sidestep was picked up by the BJP as evidence of cracks in the opposition alliance.
A week later Yadav appeared to underline his push to be Chief Minister, while simultaneously appearing to back Gandhi as the next Prime Minister, an apparent quid pro quo.
READ | Rahul Gandhi On Dais, Tejashwi Yadav Hints He Is Chief Minister Face
In June sources said the Congress is trying to break free of the 'junior partner' tag in Bihar.
The situation is similar to Tamil Nadu, where the Congress has been the second (and mostly silent) ally of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the past three polls, each of which it has won.
However, unlike Tamil Nadu - where national parties, including the BJP, struggle for traction - the Congress is understood to want to break away from secondary status in Bihar. That vision has been fed by Rahul Gandhi's many visits and rallies, including the recent Jan Adhikar Yatra to raise awareness among voters amid allegations against the Election Commission.
The mutual bonhomie between Gandhi and Yadav aside, and the feeling does appear to be genuine, the RJD has made its stand clear - Tejashwi Yadav is the chief ministerial candidate.
The Congress, the subtext therefore says, can either get with the programme or leave. And the latter is unlikely, given the larger party's comparatively (much weaker) showing in 2020.
However, at some point the Congress is going to have to break away to check the impact of Gandhi's many campaigns and speeches across the state. With that in mind, the party's state leaders insist, sources have said, they can contest November's election without RJD support.
The 2025 election will be crucial for the Mahagathbandhan as it bids to dethrone NItish Kumar - who has managed to cling to the top post since 2015 - and his on-again ally, the BJP.
Voting will take place in two phases - November 6 and 11 - with results due November 14.
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