Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Wednesday stated that the INDIA bloc, formed for the Lok Sabha elections, has lost its relevance, exposing cracks within the Opposition alliance. He also ruled out any possibility of an alliance with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar or his Janata Dal-United (JDU).
“INDIA was created solely to challenge the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. It holds no significance now, which is why the current disputes between the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls are not surprising,” Tejashwi remarked during a media interaction in Buxar, where he was meeting party workers.
Tejashwi clarified that while the RJD is yet to decide on contesting the February 5 Delhi polls, the party and Congress will jointly contest the Bihar Assembly elections later this year.
His comments follow recent remarks by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who questioned INDIA’s leadership and expressed her readiness to take charge. Veteran RJD leader Lalu Prasad had also endorsed Mamata as a preferable leader over the Congress for heading the alliance. Leaders like Omar Abdullah, Sharad Pawar, and Uddhav Thackeray have similarly voiced dissatisfaction with the alliance’s current leadership while supporting Mamata.
Tejashwi firmly rejected any reconciliation with Nitish Kumar despite Lalu Prasad’s earlier call for unity against the BJP. “There is no possibility of a compromise or alliance with Nitish Kumar or the JDU. My father only mentioned this to pacify persistent questions from journalists,” he clarified.
As Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi criticized Nitish Kumar’s 20-year rule, accusing him of pushing Bihar into decline. “According to NITI Aayog, Bihar ranks highest in unemployment and migration despite two decades of NDA rule in the state and a decade at the Centre. Bihar continues to regress,” he said.
Tejashwi also criticized Nitish’s Pragati Yatra, alleging over ₹200 crore was being wasted on the initiative in a state grappling with poverty. He accused Nitish of engaging with officials rather than ordinary citizens during the tour and lambasted the government over issues like exam paper leaks and police action against students.