To BJP's 'Muslim' question on deputy CM face, Tejashwi has an 'EBC' answer
Tejashwi Yadav alleged that the BJP’s reaction to the announcement exposed its “hatred” towards the EBC community.
Bihar’s political battlefield heated up further on Saturday as Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav claimed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was “scared” after the opposition INDIA bloc alliance announced an Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) leader as its deputy chief ministerial face for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
The INDIA bloc, contesting the November polls as the Mahagathbandhan, has named Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) founder Mukesh Sahani, a prominent EBC face, as its deputy CM nominee. Yadav alleged that the BJP’s reaction to the announcement — particularly the argument about the alleged lack of Muslim representation — exposed its “hatred” towards the EBCs.
“Why is Amit Shah so frustrated by the nomination of an EBC leader as Bihar's deputy CM candidate?” Yadav said while addressing reporters in Patna.
The RJD leader also accused BJP leaders, including Union home minister Amit Shah, of hypocrisy for raising questions over minority (Muslim) representation in the opposition bloc.
“The BJP, which has been repeatedly abusing religious minorities and threatening to send them to Pakistan, is now worried about their representation. We will soon address their concerns,” Yadav added. There have been statements by some INDIA bloc leaders to the effect that multiple deputy CMs may be appointed, and those could include a Muslim too.
Political barbs fly
Yadav’s remarks came amid sharp criticism from around the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bloc, for allegedly ignoring their core voter base of Muslims.
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan on Saturday accused the RJD of failing to give Muslims meaningful representation. Paswan recalled that his father, the late Ram Vilas Paswan, had once “sacrificed his own party” to try and make a Muslim the chief minister in 2005, but alleged that RJD “was not ready then, and is not ready now.”
“RJD was not ready for a Muslim chief minister even in 2005, and today in 2025, it is neither ready to give a Muslim chief minister nor a deputy chief minister!” Chirag said in a charged post on ‘X’.
Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain dismissed the Mahagathbandhan’s move as a “mahabhool” (mega blunder), saying it had alienated its MY (Muslim-Yadav) vote base.
“Their M-Y equation does not stand for ‘Muslim-Yadav’ anymore but ‘Mukesh Sahani-Tejashwi Yadav.’ Their vote bank is upset with them now... There are cracks in the Mahagathbandhan, Congress has knelt down before Tejashwi Yadav and Lalu Yadav,” Hussain said, predicting an NDA victory.
Caste-conscious Bihar
As per Bihar’s 2023 caste and community survey, Muslims make up 17.7% of the state’s population, or roughly over 2 crore people, making their representation a key political issue in every election.
The Mahagathbandhan’s candidate selection reflects a clear caste arithmetic. Out of its 255 total candidates, 56% belong to backward or extremely backward communities, the largest share going to the traditional Muslim-Yadav (MY) vote base — with 67 Yadav and 30 Muslim candidates fielded.
By comparison, the NDA has given tickets to just five Muslim candidates, with JD(U) allotting four and Chirag Paswan’s party one, while the BJP has not fielded a single Muslim candidate on the 101 seats it is contesting.
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With Mukesh Sahani named as deputy CM, the INDIA bloc appears to be reaching out to the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), who make up 36% of Bihar’s population, the largest single social group. Sahani’s own community, the Nishads, accounts for roughly 2.5%.
The choice has, however, drawn criticism from AIMIM, which was sidelined by the RJD-Congress alliance earlier. UP unit chief Shaukat Ali said Muslims are being marginalized, “laying carpets while others sit on sofas,” and noted that the CM candidate comes from the Yadav community, which constitutes 13% of the state’s population.
What lies ahead
The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections will take place in two phases — on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.
Tejashwi Yadav, contesting again from his Raghopur constituency, will be the chief ministerial face of the INDIA bloc, while Mukesh Sahani will serve as the deputy CM candidate.
