Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has escalated the political stakes in Bihar, declaring that he will contest all 243 assembly seats in the upcoming elections. The announcement, made at a workers’ rally in Kanti, Muzaffarpur, comes at a time when seat-sharing talks within the Mahagathbandhan remain stuck.

Addressing a packed gathering at Kanti High School, the Leader of Opposition in Bihar launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, listed the achievements of his father and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, and then delivered his striking message: “We will return. Understand this, Tejashwi will be contesting all 243 seats of Bihar.” He went on to name constituencies including Muzaffarpur, Bochahan, Gaighat and Kanti, urging workers to be prepared.

The statement is being seen as more than just a call to mobilise party workers. Muzaffarpur, one of the constituencies Yadav mentioned, is currently held by a Congress MLA, fuelling speculation that the message was aimed at putting pressure on alliance partners during seat-sharing negotiations.

The timing of Yadav’s declaration is politically significant. When asked recently about the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had avoided a direct answer. Yadav’s statement has reignited the debate, signalling that he is asserting himself as the natural choice for the coalition’s top post.

The Mahagathbandhan partners – including Congress, Left parties, VIP, JMM and LJP (Paras faction) – have been engaged in tough negotiations over seat allocation, with Congress seeking a sizeable share. Yadav’s “all-243” pitch is being read as both a bargaining tool and an attempt to energise the RJD’s rank and file ahead of a high-stakes electoral battle.

Source: India Today