Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 23 : Amid speculations of a rift within the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday welcomed the move to announce Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav as the alliance's Chief Minister face in Bihar, calling it a "signal of support" for the RJD.
Tharoor lauded Congress for naming a Chief Ministerial candidate ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, noting that earlier the party usually does not announce a CM face in polls.
He told ANI, "It's a very good message, and I think it's not at all a bad idea that Congress is participating for the first time. The Congress normally doesn't name CM candidates; they're participating in naming a CM candidate in advance. That's a very clear signal of support as well."
The Congress MP further noted that in India, people vote for a face in the elections.
Tharoor said, "I think it's a very good development because frankly, our country, the voters like to vote for a face. This was the strength of so many individual leaders in the past, also."
"In Tamil Nadu, people voted for Jayalalithaa rather than for her party, MGR rather than his party. That is the spirit in which many voters turn. Similarly, in Bihar, for them to know if you vote for us, this is who you get," he added.
Earlier today, Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot declared Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. Mukesh Sahani, who heads the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), has been named the Deputy CM nominee.
Opposition Mahagathbandhan will release its joint manifesto for the Bihar Assembly elections on October 28 in Patna, sources in the alliance told ANI on Thursday.
Sources said that Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will also begin their campaign for the Bihar Assembly elections on October 28, after the Chhath Puja festival.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav will address joint rallies before the first Phase of voting and, after that, for the seats in the second Phase of voting, they added.
The assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The results will be declared on November 14.