Lalan Singh takes U-turn on Tejashwi as CM face in 2025

PATNA: Janata Dal United (JD-U) national President Lalan Singh took a U-turn from making Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav as the Mahagathbandhan's CM face in the 2025 Assembly election.

His statement came soon after Upendra Kushwaha resigned from the JD-U's primary membership and announced formation of a new political party. Kushwaha had opposed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's announcement to make Tejashwi Yadav the CM candidate in 2025 and the JD-U probably cames under pressure in wake of this.

"We have not decided who will be the CM candidate in the 2025 Assembly election. When 2025 will come, we will look into it. We have not said who would be the CM candidate in 2025 assembly election," Lalan Singh said.

Nitish Kumar said on several occasions that Tejashwi Yadav will be the chief ministerial candidate of the grand alliance in 2025.

Meanwhile, Lalan Singh claimed that JD-U would not be hurt by the exit of Kushwaha, saying that he has a habit of "Paltimar" (switching allegiances) in the past.

"He left the party twice earlier. We all know who he met during his visit to Delhi and Patna. We know who is in contact with him. The people associated with him had informed about his intention. A large number of people from his side came to our side," he said.

"When you scan the political history of Upendra Kushwaha, he does not stay in one place. He is an over ambitious person," he added.

"When he came last time to join the JD-U, every member of the party was against his joining. I was asked by the Chief Minister about him. He was also present there and I told the Chief Minister that 'Please ask him about how long he will stay in the party'. Still, CM Nitish Kumar ignored our suggestions and allowed him to join the party. So his claim of the CM not taking decisions on his own is absolutely incorrect," Singh said.

"Upendra Kushwaha is alleging that Jungle Raj will come after Tejashwi Yadav becomes the Chief Minister. I asked him who went to Tejashwi Yadav in the run up to 2020 assembly in a circuit house of Arwal and his residence for the alliance of his party with the RJD. At that time, he had demanded for the candidature of Chief Minister for himself and it was turned down by Tejashwi Yadav. Then he went to the BSP and it had declared him the Chief Ministerial candidate of the alliance his party RLSP, the BSP, and the AIMIM were formed at that time," he said.