Tejashwi Yadav leads 6-hour INDIA bloc meet ahead of Bihar polls, slams Nitish for ‘stealing ideas’

Tejashwi Yadav leads 6-hour INDIA bloc meet ahead of Bihar polls, slams Nitish for ‘stealing ideas’

With the upcoming Bihar Assembly election showdown fast approaching, leaders of the INDIA bloc held a six-hour closed-door meeting on Saturday at Tejashwi Yadav's residence in Patna.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav told the media that seat-sharing talks for Bihar polls have begun.(ANI)

According to PTI, the session centred on seat-sharing discussions, coordination planning, and tackling concerns over electoral transparency.

The assembly elections in Bihar is scheduled later this year and Tejashwi-led Mahagathbandhan is looking on to topple Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar. 

After the meeting, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who heads the coalition's coordination committee, told the media that seat-sharing talks for the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls have formally begun.

However, he declined to provide specifics, stating that the deliberations were "internal matters."

"Yes, seat-sharing talks have begun. But I cannot divulge more details now. The deliberations are an internal matter, and we will make things public when they are finalised," said the RJD leader, who is likely to be the INDIA bloc's chief ministerial candidate.

Yadav also used the opportunity to attack his political rival, the NDA, alleging that chief minister Nitish Kumar is trying to steal his ideas.

The former deputy chief minister alleged that the NDA government headed by JD(U) president Nitish Kumar was a "copycat" that was "stealing" his ideas, such as setting up a youth commission (Yuva Aayog) and hiking the old age pension.

"I am sure 'Mai Bahin Samman Yojana' will also be copied by them soon," said the young leader, who has promised to pay the state's women a monthly stipend of ₹2,500 if his party is voted to power.

Yadav claimed that the people were fed up with the NDA government, which lacked "vision" and was unable to keep law and order under control.

When his attention was drawn to the fact that NDA partners like Union minister Chirag Paswan have also started voicing concern over deteriorating law and order, the RJD leader shot back, "He should go and tell the Centre that 'jungle raj' is prevailing in Bihar."

Notably, 'jungle raj', an expression indicative of lawlessness, is a colloquialism often used by BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to underscore the RJD's poor track record in controlling crime while it ruled Bihar.