RJD’s Tejashwi vows to make Rahul PM in 2029

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, during the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ on Tuesday, vowed to make the Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister in 2029.

Tejashwi Yadav made the remarks while addressing a corner meeting during the third day of the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Nawada’s Bhagat Singh Chowk.

“This time we will throw out the NDA from Bihar. And in the next Lok Sabha elections, we will work to make Rahul Gandhi the next Prime Minister,” the RJD leader said.

The remarks from the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar assembly indicate that Rahul Gandhi could be projected as the prime ministerial face of the INDIA bloc for the 2029 general elections.
The remarks also indicate the bonhomie between the two leaders and their strong relationship.

The INDIA bloc had gone into the 2024 Lok Sabha polls without a prime ministerial face. All the leaders of the INDIA bloc had then maintained that the prime ministerial candidate would be decided after the results.

However, Rahul Gandhi shares a very close bond with Lalu Prasad Yadav, the RJD chief, and also with his family members, including Tejashwi Yadav.

On several occasions, Rahul Gandhi had gone to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s residence.

While addressing the public, Tejashwi Yadav also alleged vote theft by the Election Commission and targeted it over the SIR exercise in Bihar.

He said that the poll panel and the BJP formed a partnership to steal votes and “fool the people of Bihar”.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, the RJD leader, mimicking his father’s style, said, “The BJP wants to snatch away the right to vote… We are Biharis. One Bihari outweighs all. We treat elections like khaini; we rub it and throw it away.”

He also highlighted how 65 lakh voters had been removed from the draft voter rolls under the SIR exercise in the state.

Describing the SIR as robbery, Tejashwi Yadav said, “The SIR is a dacoity of votes, and we will not allow that to happen. It’s a conspiracy of the ruling dispensation to disenfranchise voters in Bihar.”

The RJD leader also targeted the Nitish Kumar-led government in the state and said it is khatara (rickety).

“The Nitish Kumar-led government has become khattara (rickety), and it needs to be urgently replaced. The young should now get a chance. The youth have resolved that they will remove this old and rickety government. My uncle Nitish Kumar ji is in an unconscious state and he is not able to control Bihar.”

Rahul Gandhi also targeted the poll panel again and accused it of having a partnership with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Congress leader said, “A partnership is ongoing between BJP and the Election Commission. They are stealing votes together. The Constitution has given the right to vote, which is being snatched by Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and the Election Commissioner.”

He again highlighted how the voters were added in the Maharashtra and Haryana assembly polls.

Targeting the Commission over the SIR exercise, he said, “Now in Bihar, under the guise of SIR (Special Intensive Revision), the BJP and the Election Commission are stealing votes. We will not let them get away with vote theft.”

Explaining the impact of alleged vote theft, the Rae Bareli MP asserted that first, voter cards will be taken away, then ration cards and lands will be given to a few industrialists.”

Rahul Gandhi had embarked on the Voter Adhikar Yatra on August 17 from Bihar’s Sasaram and had covered the districts of Aurangabad and Gaya in the last two days. He will visit at least 22 districts and cover a total of 1,300 km in the 16-day yatra, which will conclude in Ara on August 30 with a mega public meeting planned in Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on September 1.

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