Ashok Gehlot convinced the RJD leadership that the Congress had no issue about declaring Tejashwi as the Mahagathbandan's chief minister face.
Despite lagging behind in the election campaign for next month's two phase Bihar assembly polls, the Mahagathbandhan declared Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial face on Thursday and dared the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance to declare its chief ministerial candidate.
Tejashwi -- twice deputy chief minister -- has topped surveyed Biharis' choice for the chief minister's job in pre poll surveys since early this year.
The RJD, which won more seats than any other party in the 2020 assembly election, is contesting 143 of Bihar's 243 assembly seats, more than any party in the Mahagathbandhan and the NDA.
The Congress had appeared reluctant to endorse Tejashwi as the Mahagathbandan's chief ministerial candidate, which complicated seat sharing negotiations in the Opposition alliance.
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot flew to Patna on Wednesday to resolve the issue and spent time with Tejashwi and his father RJD Founder Lalu Prasad Yadav at 10, Circular Road in Patna, the official residence of Tejashwi's mother and former chief minister Rabri Devi.
Gehlot convinced father and son that the Congress had no issue about declaring Tejashwi as the Mahagathbandan's chief minister face.
"Both Lalu and Tejashwi were convinced by Gehlot and things were resolved finally," a senior Congress leader said.
Krishna Allavaru -- the young Congress leader appointed earlier this year as the party's supervisor in Bihar -- this afore-quoted Congressman admitted had angered Lalu-Tejashwi by his style of politics so much so that they ignored the Congress, compelling Rahul Gandhi to ask Gehlot to douse the fire.
"Allavaru's strategy not to declare Tejashwi as the chief minister face backfired. There was nothing new as Tejashwi was the Mahagathbandhan's chief minister face in 2020," the Congerss leader added.
Rahul Gandhi during his much hyped 16 day Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar too had refused to reply when asked if Tejashwi would be the Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial nominee.
Relations between the Mahagathbandhan's leading allies grew so inimical in recent weeks that the RJD and Congress have pitted candidates against each other in some seats.
The Mahagathbandan also announced that Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahni, who belongs to the extreme backward Mallah caste, will be deputy chief minister if the alliance wins the assembly election.
Another deputy chief minister will be picked from a different social group if the Mahagathbandhan comes to power this time.
Extreme Backward Castes constitute 36% of Bihar's population and have been considered Janata Dal-United President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's vote bank for almost 20 years.
"Sahni's nomination is meant to woo EBCs," a RJD leader conceded.
After declaring Tejashwi as the Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial nominee, Gehlot dared the NDA to declare its CM face.
Senior BJP leader and the party's primary election strategist Amit Shah refused to indicate last week if Nitish Kumar will continue as chief minister if the NDA wins the assembly election, asserting that the CM will be chosen by NDA MLAs.
"Why is the NDA not announcing its CM face?" Tejashwi asked at Thursday's press conference, adding, "the BJP will not declare Nitish Kumar as its CM candidate this time."
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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