Tejashwi Yadav is the face of the RJD on all 243 seats in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha election: Here is why this ‘political strategy’ may backfire
Bihar will go to the polls by the end of the year. It’s the season of political rallies and meetings. There’s a deluge of statements, and from this deluge has emerged a statement of Tejashwi Yadav. He claims that his face will be contesting on all 243 seats in Bihar. Addressing a public meeting, Tejashwi Yadav said, “This time, Tejashwi will contest 243 seats. Whether it’s Bochahan or Muzaffarpur, he will contest. I appeal to all of you to vote for me.“ Lalu Prasad Yadav’s dynastic party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), wants the INDI alliance to field Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar. The Congress, the Left and other RJD allies are shying away from this. Why is the INDI alliance afraid of Tejashwi Yadav’s name? One of the reasons for the Congress’s reluctance to make Tejashwi Yadav the chief ministerial candidate is the party’s apprehension that it might lose the meagre upper-caste votes it receives in Bihar. Another possible reason might be that by not endorsing Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD allies want to increase pressure on the party to give him a greater share of seats. Failing to receive approval from his allies, Tejashwi Yadav went on to boast, “Tejashwi will contest all 243 seats in Bihar”. However, in chasing his political ambitions, he forgot that a name or a face is not just a few words or a picture. Names and faces can form an inseparable part of history and public memory. The name and face that gave Tejashwi Yadav the reins of the RJD have a history so deeply etched in the minds of the people of Bihar that the same may become a burden for him. His statement not only highlights the ongoing conflict within the INDI Alliance but also revives the fear in the people of Bihar, which took them years to overcome. Tejashwi Yadav’s name and face haunt Bihar In his book ‘How India became Modimay’, Senior journalist Santosh Kumar, who is from Bihar, cited a presentation from the period before the 2019 general elections, and writes, “The question in this presentation was: If you mention the names of two big industrialists (one is a fugitive and the other has been in jail for a long time, it would not be appropriate to disclose their names), what image comes to your mind? The answer was: fraud. But what is the response when Narendra Modi’s name is mentioned? A leader who can take any major decision, whether on the development agenda or related to national security.” Similarly, if you were asked what image comes to mind when you hear the name Tejashwi Yadav or see his photo, you would undoubtedly recall the Jungle Raj of the Lalu-Rabri regime. Despite RJD being out of power for years, and Tejashwi being projected as a ‘young leader of a new era’, the fear of Jungle Raj is so fresh in the minds of people that they believe if Tejashwi Yadav comes to power, the Jungle Raj will return. Tejashwi Yadav’s face reminds the people of Bihar of a time when crimes like kidnapping became the norm, when people were forced to migrate to different parts of the country, and when other states were joining the race for development, Bihar was grappling with casteism and corruption. Tejashwi Yadav’s politics hinge on the “MY equation.” This not only limits his political base but also creates a sense of insecurity among the majority of the population. Tejashwi Yadav hasn’t reached his current political stature through hard work. He is a product of dynasty politics. He was imposed on the people of Bihar by the RJD. In his journey from cricketer to politician, he has nothing concrete to show that could change the image conjured by his name and face. In contrast, Nitish Kumar, though he has changed political allies from time to time, has broadly established his image as a leader who has freed the people of Bihar from crime and fear, and has provided basic amenities like electricity, roads, and education. People cannot separate Tejashwi Yadav’s name and face, the legacy and family he is associated with, from crime and corruption. This is why, even though Tejashwi Yadav occasionally addresses issues like employment and development in his speeches, the public considers him a successor to the same old political system. The partnership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has created new aspirations for development in Bihar. The presence of Tejashwi Yadav’s name and face instils fears that these aspirations may be stifled. There’s a saying in Bihar: “एक बेर साँप काटलक, दोसर बेर रस्सी देखिते कँपलौं।” (Once bitten, twice shy), which means people who have endured horrific experiences tremble at the mere mention of a similar situation. In reality, Tejashwi Yadav is that “rope,” which reminds the public of the “snake.” His boastful statement about having his name and face on all 243 seats is reminiscent of that horrific past, the mere thought of which makes Bihar shudder.
Bihar will go to the polls by the end of the year. It’s the season of political rallies and meetings. There’s a deluge of statements, and from this deluge has emerged a statement of Tejashwi Yadav. He claims that his face will be contesting on all 243 seats in Bihar.
Addressing a public meeting, Tejashwi Yadav said, “This time, Tejashwi will contest 243 seats. Whether it’s Bochahan or Muzaffarpur, he will contest. I appeal to all of you to vote for me.“
Lalu Prasad Yadav’s dynastic party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), wants the INDI alliance to field Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar. The Congress, the Left and other RJD allies are shying away from this.
Why is the INDI alliance afraid of Tejashwi Yadav’s name?
One of the reasons for the Congress’s reluctance to make Tejashwi Yadav the chief ministerial candidate is the party’s apprehension that it might lose the meagre upper-caste votes it receives in Bihar. Another possible reason might be that by not endorsing Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD allies want to increase pressure on the party to give him a greater share of seats.
Failing to receive approval from his allies, Tejashwi Yadav went on to boast, “Tejashwi will contest all 243 seats in Bihar”. However, in chasing his political ambitions, he forgot that a name or a face is not just a few words or a picture. Names and faces can form an inseparable part of history and public memory.
The name and face that gave Tejashwi Yadav the reins of the RJD have a history so deeply etched in the minds of the people of Bihar that the same may become a burden for him. His statement not only highlights the ongoing conflict within the INDI Alliance but also revives the fear in the people of Bihar, which took them years to overcome.
Tejashwi Yadav’s name and face haunt Bihar
In his book ‘How India became Modimay’, Senior journalist Santosh Kumar, who is from Bihar, cited a presentation from the period before the 2019 general elections, and writes, “The question in this presentation was: If you mention the names of two big industrialists (one is a fugitive and the other has been in jail for a long time, it would not be appropriate to disclose their names), what image comes to your mind? The answer was: fraud. But what is the response when Narendra Modi’s name is mentioned? A leader who can take any major decision, whether on the development agenda or related to national security.”
Similarly, if you were asked what image comes to mind when you hear the name Tejashwi Yadav or see his photo, you would undoubtedly recall the Jungle Raj of the Lalu-Rabri regime. Despite RJD being out of power for years, and Tejashwi being projected as a ‘young leader of a new era’, the fear of Jungle Raj is so fresh in the minds of people that they believe if Tejashwi Yadav comes to power, the Jungle Raj will return.
- Tejashwi Yadav’s face reminds the people of Bihar of a time when crimes like kidnapping became the norm, when people were forced to migrate to different parts of the country, and when other states were joining the race for development, Bihar was grappling with casteism and corruption.
- Tejashwi Yadav’s politics hinge on the “MY equation.” This not only limits his political base but also creates a sense of insecurity among the majority of the population.
- Tejashwi Yadav hasn’t reached his current political stature through hard work. He is a product of dynasty politics. He was imposed on the people of Bihar by the RJD. In his journey from cricketer to politician, he has nothing concrete to show that could change the image conjured by his name and face.
In contrast, Nitish Kumar, though he has changed political allies from time to time, has broadly established his image as a leader who has freed the people of Bihar from crime and fear, and has provided basic amenities like electricity, roads, and education. People cannot separate Tejashwi Yadav’s name and face, the legacy and family he is associated with, from crime and corruption. This is why, even though Tejashwi Yadav occasionally addresses issues like employment and development in his speeches, the public considers him a successor to the same old political system.
The partnership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has created new aspirations for development in Bihar. The presence of Tejashwi Yadav’s name and face instils fears that these aspirations may be stifled.
There’s a saying in Bihar: “एक बेर साँप काटलक, दोसर बेर रस्सी देखिते कँपलौं।” (Once bitten, twice shy), which means people who have endured horrific experiences tremble at the mere mention of a similar situation. In reality, Tejashwi Yadav is that “rope,” which reminds the public of the “snake.” His boastful statement about having his name and face on all 243 seats is reminiscent of that horrific past, the mere thought of which makes Bihar shudder.
