NEW DELHI: Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor on Thursday took a swipe at the Mahagathbandhan alliance after it announced RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate for the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, saying the move under “Jungle Raj was always expected.”Speaking to reporters in Bihar, Kishor said, “It was always expected that if Lalu Yadav’s ‘Jungle Raj’ were to return, Tejashwi Yadav would be the CM face. So, what’s new in that?”
His remarks came shortly after the Mahagathbandhan formally declared Tejashwi Yadav as its CM face during a joint press conference of alliance partners in Patna. The announcement ended weeks of speculation over the Opposition bloc’s leadership choice ahead of next year’s polls.Alongside Tejashwi’s announcement, the alliance also named Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani as its deputy chief ministerial face. Sahani, popularly known as the “Son of Mallah,” had joined the Grand Alliance in April last year after prolonged negotiations.The joint press conference saw senior leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and other allies expressing confidence in Tejashwi’s leadership, projecting him as the face of a united opposition against the NDA in Bihar.Kishor, who has been touring Bihar under his Jan Suraaj Yatra, has frequently criticised both the ruling NDA and the Mahagathbandhan, claiming that neither alliance represents real change for the state.The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections are set to witness a key battle between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Mahagathbandhan.The NDA comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.On the other hand, the Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), includes the Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Dipankar Bhattacharya, and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has announced that it will contest all 243 seats in the state.The elections will be held in two phases — on November 6 and November 11 — with results to be declared on November 14.
