New Delhi [India], June 22 : Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has criticised Chirag Paswan's recent statements, where his supporters have been endorsing him as a suitable candidate for Chief Minister of Bihar.
In a candid conversation with ANI, Yadav accused Paswan's camp of "doing drama" and suggested that Paswan should openly declare his aspirations instead of using indirect language.
He emphasised that while there is no issue with someone aspiring to become the Chief Minister, but such claims should be made openly and honestly.
"We have no problem with that, but it should be said openly. If Chirag Paswan ji or anyone else has the desire, then they should openly say, 'Yes, I want to become the Chief Minister.' What's the need for drama, like saying 'Now Bihar is calling me'? You were sent away from Bihar for so many years.", Tejashwi Yadav told ANI.
He criticised Paswan's supporters for saying "Bihar is calling" him to become the Chief Minister, questioning the logic behind such statements. Yadav contrasted this with his own approach, saying that he and his party are clear about their intentions: they want to form the government and build Bihar.
Tejashwi Yadav criticised the dramatic tone of Chirag Paswan's supporters. "There should be logic. 'Bihar is calling you' should mean you won from Bihar, you are a Bihari, you are in the central ministry from Bihar's quota. Now suddenly you are saying Bihar is calling. Just say clearly, 'I want to become the Chief Minister.' Say it openly. Wherever we go, we say clearly: not only do we want to form the government, but we also want to build Bihar. Just give us a chance to do that," Yadav said.
Last week, while addressing a rally in Bihar, Chirag Paswan announced that he will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls. Speaking at a public gathering in Arrah, Paswan declared that his party would support the NDA in all 243 assembly seats to ensure its victory.
"For those who ask from where I will contest, I want to tell you that my party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and I will contest on 243 seats to make NDA candidates win and strengthen the NDA alliance. My goal is that the NDA moves towards victory," said Chirag.
The announcement was made in Arrah, a traditionally weak region for JD(U). Chirag Paswan said he would not contest the election "from Bihar but for Bihar." He added that he would leave the decision of his candidacy and constituency to the people.
Yadav also alleged that the BJP has taken control of the Janata Dal (United), claiming that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will not retain his post after the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. He reiterated his claims that the BJP will have a decisive say in the distribution of assembly tickets by the JD(U), citing the influence of BJP leaders like Amit Shah and Sanjay Jha.
"...Everyone in Bihar knows that Nitish Kumar will not be the chief minister after the elections. Amit Shah has clarified this multiple times... The BJP has hijacked the JDU. Sanjay Jha is an RSS person. He is in JDU from Arun Jaitley's quota. JDU ticket distribution will also be done by Amit Shah, not Nitish Kumar..." the RJD leader told ANI.
Earlier, Yadav, during a press conference, launched a scathing attack on the coalition government, questioning its governance record and asking whether it had established IT parks, SEZs, industrial clusters, and educational hubs in the state.
He emphasised that his party is committed to development and promised to complete the works the current government failed to achieve.