Bihar elections: Tejashwi Prasad to re-contest from Lalu’s stronghold

PATNA: Leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, filed his nomination papers from the Raghopur assembly constituency in Vaishali district on Wednesday afternoon, saying he was serious about creating a million jobs for the young if the alliance between his Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and the Left is voted to power.

Tejashwi Prasad, who is seeking re-election from Raghopur, also took a swipe at chief minister Nitish Kumar for mocking his poll promises, especially the one about creating a million jobs, and challenged the Janata Dal (United), or JD (U), leader to fight an election against him from any seat in Nalanda, Nitish Kumar’s home district.

“I challenge CM Kumar to contest from Nalanda from any seat he wishes and I will fight against him,” the 30-year-old politician, the younger son of RJD’s jailed leader Lalu Prasad, told reporters in Patna before leaving to file his nomination papers. “Chief minister Nitish Kumar laughs at my poll promises of providing 10 lakh jobs. But I want to tell him that I am a theth Bihari (pure Bihari) who fulfils his commitment at all costs,” he added.

In the afternoon, the RJD ‘s chief ministerial candidate submitted his nomination papers before the returning officercum-sub-divisional magistrate of Hajipur, flanked by RJD’s senior MLA Bhola Yadav and other leaders. “Tejashwi has the blessings of me and Laluji as parents and the entire people of the state. He will register a big win in this election,” Rabri Devi said, holding a picture of her husband.

Tejashwi Prasad is again taking on BJP candidate Satish Kumar in a straight fight in Raghopur, which is a Yadav-dominated constituency situated along the banks of Ganga across Patna. In the 2015 election, Tejashwi Prasad, on his electoral debut, defeated Satish Kumar by a margin of 22,733 votes.