Patna | October 29, 2025:
Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Tuesday said that the INDIA bloc’s decision to name RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial face for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections has effectively ended whatever “little chance” the alliance had of winning.
Mr. Paswan claimed the move has revived memories of the “jungle raj” era in Bihar and would push voters away from the opposition camp.
“By naming Tejashwi Yadav as CM face, the INDIA bloc has given up even the half per cent chance it might have had. People remember what Bihar went through during the RJD’s jungle raj,” said Paswan.
‘Memories of Jungle Raj Revived’: Chirag Paswan Attacks Tejashwi
The Hajipur MP launched a sharp attack on Tejashwi Yadav, saying the RJD leader’s projection as chief ministerial candidate has triggered fear among voters.
“By mistake, and under pressure from his party, he has been named CM candidate and is already behaving as if he is the chief minister,” Paswan said.
He also took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying Gandhi had earlier refrained from endorsing Yadav precisely because “as soon as the RJD leader is projected, people start recalling the jungle raj and recoil in fear.”
Chirag Defends Nitish Kumar as NDA’s Face
Amid ongoing speculation over Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s role in the NDA, Paswan reaffirmed that Kumar remains the alliance’s face in Bihar.
“How many times does it need to be said that Nitish Kumar is NDA’s face?” Paswan asked. “When Home Minister Amit Shah spoke about the due procedure, the opposition twisted his words out of context.”
Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had remarked that the next chief minister would be decided by NDA legislators after the elections, sparking rumours of internal uncertainty. Paswan dismissed such reports, saying the BJP-JD(U)-LJP alliance remains united under Nitish Kumar’s leadership.
‘RJD Coerced Mukesh Sahni’: Paswan on Deputy CM Promise
Mr. Paswan also criticized the INDIA bloc’s promise to make Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni the Deputy CM, alleging that the move was politically motivated and lacked credibility.
“What do they hope to gain by promising Mukesh Sahni the Deputy CM’s post? The way he has been coerced into submission by the RJD is not lost on his Nishad community,” Paswan alleged.
Political Reactions in Bihar
The remarks come as political temperatures rise in Bihar ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections. The RJD-Congress-Left alliance, operating under the INDIA bloc, has been attempting to regain lost ground, while the NDA — comprising JD(U), BJP, and LJP (Ram Vilas) — projects a united front.
Political analysts say Paswan’s remarks reflect the NDA’s strategy to polarize the electorate around governance versus nostalgia, painting the RJD era as a period of instability and lawlessness.
