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Published 18:16 IST, September 8th 2020

Tejashwi Yadav challenges Bihar CM to contest for elections alone; narrates poll history

Tejashwi Yadav said that if Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) fought the Bihar Assembly elections alone it wouldn't be able to get seats even in double digits

Reported by: Prachi Mankani
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Putting forward an enormous claim, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday said that if Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) fought the Bihar Assembly elections alone it wouldn't be able to get seats even in double digits. This statement from the opposition leader comes with the Bihar election just months away. Currently, the JDU-BJP combination rules the state with 131 seats, while the RJD-Congress opposition has 111 seats. 

Taking to Twitter, Tejashwi recounted the fate of Kumar's JDU in elections which it had fought alone without forming an alliance with either the BJP or Congress. His tweet in Hindi read as - "Nitish Kumar fought the Vidhan Sabha elections in 1995 in unified Bihar (now Bihar and Jharkhand) and got just seven seats. In 2014, he fought with the Left and got just two seats. If ever in his lifetime he fights alone the glorious face will not even get seats in double digits. This is my challenge and claim,",
 

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READ: Bihar polls: Nitish Kumar kicks off campaign with 'Nischay Samwaad' rally on September 7

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Nitish Kumar flags off 'Nischay Samwaad' rally 

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched his re-election campaign with a 'Nischay Samwaad' rally on Monday - where deceased actor Sushant Singh Rajput found a mention. While Kumar spoke in length on state's COVID-19 preparations, his government's social schemes, he also stated that not just Bihar, entire India was saddened by actor Sushant Singh Rajput's demise. While addressing the virtual rally, CM Nitish lashed out at the opposition in the state for constantly criticising the government over the COVID-19 crisis, choosing to ignore how the government had increased the testing capacity for COVID-19 to 1 lakh 50 thousand per day.

READ: Tejashwi Yadav slams Nitish Kumar over virtual rally, says 'address unemployment & crime'

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Bihar assembly elections

Bihar will go to polls amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with the EC releasing guidelines for conducting polls. As BJP lost in Delhi, all eyes are set on former party chief Amit Shah and Nitish Kumar -led JDU. While Kumar faces strong anti-incumbency, RJD - Bihar's main opposition has lost the lustre it once had due to the absence of it's chief Lalu Prasad Yadav - with his son Tejashwi, most likely to be named as CM hopeful.  Currently, the JDU-BJP combination rules the state with 131 seats, while the RJD-Congress opposition has 111 seats.

READ: Ahead of Bihar assembly polls, Mahagathbandhan prioritises alliance with Left parties

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READ: Bihar polls: BJP names Ravi Shankar Prasad as campaign chief; Fadnavis not mentioned

18:15 IST, September 8th 2020