New Delhi, Oct 23 (NationPress) In late August, when Tejashwi Yadav, the de-facto leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), proclaimed himself as the party's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was notably silent during the announcement.

Fast forward two months, and it was Congress representative Ashok Gehlot who publicly endorsed Tejashwi's name as the Mahagathbandhan’s preferred candidate for the Chief Minister role.

This decision came after intense discussions among alliance members, prominently featuring Tejashwi’s father and former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Within these discussions, Mukesh Sahani, leader of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), was primarily recognized as the coalition’s Deputy Chief Minister candidate.

However, Sahani expressed dissatisfaction as he received only a fraction of the seats he sought for the VIP in their alliance with Mahagathbandhan. In exchange, he was promised the Deputy Chief Minister position and one Rajya Sabha seat for his party in the future.

Ashok Gehlot, backed by his central leadership team including Rahul Gandhi, along with Dipankar Bhattacharya from the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Liberation, played a role in calming the VIP.

Despite these efforts, they faced challenges convincing alliance candidates on the ground, as there remain approximately ten constituencies with competing candidates.

Leaders within the Mahagathbandhan have downplayed these clashes as mere “friendly contests in five or ten seats,” which they do not deem significant amidst Bihar’s total of 243 Assembly constituencies.

Regardless of the seriousness of these rivalries, during the 2020 Assembly elections, the RJD emerged as Bihar's largest party, securing 75 seats—just one more than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP is currently a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar, led by Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United).

For Tejashwi Yadav, navigating these internal alliance tensions and seat-sharing disputes will be crucial in forming his Cabinet should he receive a favorable electoral outcome.

Among the potential two dozen ministers he could appoint, only the Chief and Deputy have been confirmed so far. Alliance partners are expected to compete for key government departments. Before these negotiations unfold, Tejashwi must maintain the RJD’s existing voter support base, particularly among Muslim-Yadav voters.

Support from VIP affiliates within riverine and fisher communities (such as Nishad and Mallah) and segments of the Backward-Class electorate, alongside the Left's influence among impoverished voters, could bolster the RJD's position.

Additionally, the Congress party attracts backing from various social groups and regional demographics. Yet, the alliance might effectively consolidate votes from Muslims, Yadavs, and certain OBC segments.

Simultaneously, the resignation of 50 RJD leaders from the Extremely Backward Cell in Darbhanga, along with a vigorous campaign from the BJP featuring prominent figures like Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda, suggests that Tejashwi’s journey could face significant hurdles.

Moreover, his coalition partners have historically opposed each other politically. Lalu emerged from anti-Congress movements and adeptly leveraged the Mandal Commission findings to his advantage, championing “social justice” that disrupted the Left’s focus on “class struggle” while neglecting caste considerations.

However, a generation later, electoral ambitions have begun to overshadow social goals, theoretical ideologies, and evolving political dynamics.

Furthermore, the younger Yadav carries the legacy of “jungle raj” and corruption allegations associated with his family, which presents an opportunity for the NDA to exploit.

If he successfully overcomes these barriers to ascend as Chief Minister, he will become the third member of his family to hold this position, following in the footsteps of his father, Lalu Yadav, and mother, Rabri Devi, from previous administrations. Nevertheless, Tejashwi has openly acknowledged that his political position is intertwined with his family legacy and the implications of nepotism.