Tejashwi Yadav's multiple deputy CM plan in Bihar includes Muslims and Dalits: Report
As the ground is set for voting in Bihar, RJD leader reiterated the grand alliance's plan to form an inclusive government.
With Bihar Assembly elections just days away, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has hinted at having multiple deputy chief ministers, including a Muslim and a Dalit, if the opposition's grand alliance is voted to power.
In an interview with India Today, the Mahagtabandhan CM face said the concerns raised by various sections will be addressed," referring to Ashok Gehlot's remarks regarding more deputy CMs along with Mukesh Sahani.
He also affirmed that there will be a Muslim and a Dalit deputy chief minister as well.
Tejashwi's previous claims of having a Muslim deputy CM
In an earlier interview with the HT, Yadav had made a similar reference to Congress troubleshooter Ashok Gehlot's statement about having multiple deputy chief ministers. He had then taken a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party for creating row over the opposition bloc's choice of names for deputy chief minister's post.
“The BJP has issues with a representative from EBC being declared a Deputy CM face. Their IT cell has been trolling us for not naming a representative from a community they would otherwise call infiltrators,” Tejashwi had told HT in an interview last week.
While not explicitly saying that Bihar will have a Muslim deputy chief minister under his leadership, Tejashwi said, “We are not ruling out that possibility. Let's wait and watch. It can be from any community."
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot had been roped in last month as the INDI bloc in Bihar seemed to be in disarray over seat-sharing, who later said that “friendly contests” between alliance partners on a few seats should not be viewed as discord.
Bihar to vote this week
Stage is set for the high-stakes elections in Bihar where voting for 243-assembly seats will be held in two phases, on November 6 and 11. The counting and results are scheduled for November 14. The ruling NDA and the opposition bloc have released their manifestos.
In its manifesto Bihar ka Tejashwi Pran, the grand alliance Mahagathbandhan promised government jobs, free power and the old pension scheme. It promised that one member of every family will have a government job within 20 months of the formation of the new government.
The NDA's ‘Sankalp Patra’ (manifesto) focuses on creating 10 million jobs, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and women empowerment.
The manifesto pledges ₹10 lakh financial assistance to those from the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), constituting 36% of the population, for business and entrepreneurship, and the constitution of a high-power commission to study their socio-economic conditions for their empowerment. It promises ₹2,000 monthly to Scheduled Caste students enrolled in higher education and a venture fund for entrepreneurship.
