Tejashwi urges votes in his name across all 243 seats
What's the story
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has appealed to voters in Bihar to cast their votes for him in all 243 constituencies. "This time, Tejashwi will contest all 243 seats... My appeal to you is to vote in my name," he said at a rally in Muzaffarpur on Saturday. The former deputy chief minister's appeal comes amid complicated seat-sharing talks within the Mahagathbandhan alliance for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Election history
RJD and Congress seat-sharing in 2020 elections
In the 2020 Bihar elections, the RJD had contested 144 seats and won 75, becoming the single-largest party. The Congress had contested 70 seats and won only 19. However, this time around, the Congress believes its position is stronger due to increased popularity from initiatives like Rahul Gandhi's Voter Adhikar Yatra.
Seat negotiations
Congress demands more seats for RJD
Krishna Allavaru, the Congress's state in-charge, had earlier hinted that the RJD may need to be more accommodating in seat-sharing. He said, "In every state, there are good seats and bad seats... There should be a balance between good and bad seats." The Congress is reportedly eyeing at least 70 constituencies this time. Meanwhile, Vikasheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahni has also demanded a bigger share of seats for his party.
Opposition response
BJP slams Yadav's appeal
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized Yadav's appeal, calling it a pressure tactic on RJD's allies. BJP spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said, "Stop dreaming, Mr Tejashwi Yadav. You don't have the strength to contest all 243 seats alone." He added that voters will choose Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Yadav due to past scams associated with him.