Bihar polls: ‘People have decided to bring change,’ says Tejashwi Yadav | Interview

How is your election campaign proceeding?

It is going really well. This time Mahagathbandhan will win the election. Wherever I am going in the campaign, people are saying that change is certain. They are talking about forming a new Bihar and a new government. They are saying that those who talk about education, irrigation, medicine, jobs and prompt action will form the government. I have full trust that the people of Bihar will elect the government of Mahagathbandhan.

Whenever Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah come to Bihar, they taunt the Opposition with the tag of ‘Jungle Raj’.

They do not have any other issues to talk about. Be it the Prime Minister or Amit Shah, if you carefully listen to their words and sentences, they are full of negativity and negative thinking. We are here to do positive and progressive politics. We talk about development and vision.

You and Mukesh Sahani have been officially declared as Chief Ministerial and Deputy Chief Ministerial faces respectively. Is there any talk about a Muslim Deputy CM?

That day, during the press conference, it was clearly said that apart from Mukesh ji, there would be another Deputy CM. I think, at the right time, we will make an announcement of the second Deputy CM.

After being declared as the CM face, do you think that you have more responsibilities now?

Since the beginning, I had the responsibility. Last time as well, I was made the CM face and we had almost formed the government, had there been no cheating. However, this time the entire Bihar wants change because people are really worried about the present corrupt government. Despite ruling Bihar for the last 20 years, Bihar is the poorest State, migration and unemployment are the highest, and per capita income is the lowest. There are no industries nor any investment. People are in the mood for change.

Do you consider the Jan Suraaj Party led by Prashant Kishor a potential challenge?

For me the only challenge is to eradicate unemployment and I am currently busy with this. Many political parties come and vanish, Tejashwi does not pay attention to such parties. Tejashwi only wants to make Bihar the number one State.

On several seats, there is a contest between the allies of Mahagathbandhan.

It has been done strategically. We have done this in Jharkhand as well and we have won the seats.

You talk about bringing change in Bihar. What kind of change do you want?

I want Bihar and the people of Bihar to excel. No Bihari should have to go outside the State for jobs, education or better medical treatment. All the facilities should be available in Bihar. All the infrastructure should be in Bihar. I want to make Bihar an IT hub, set up food processing units and agro-based industries.

You have promised government jobs to one member of every family. Questions are being raised about feasibility.

Let the people raise questions, I will keep doing my work. When the people get the jobs, then I will ask those who are raising questions. I will make the impossible possible.

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was conducted in Bihar. Do you think it had any impact?

I am really thankful for the decisions taken by the Supreme Court with regard to SIR. The Supreme Court fulfilled our demands and many times, the Election Commission of India was reprimanded, be it for Aadhaar as a document or for transparency. We all got the benefit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that you and Rahul Gandhi are out on bail.

Yes, if the PM wishes to file a case against anyone using ED and CBI, he can do it. In that scenario, we have to take bail. Join the BJP, it is a washing machine. They made many such Chief Ministers. See Maharashtra, they have been rewarded and they became Raja Harishchandra. Those who were earlier corrupt in the eyes of BJP, in Assam, a corrupt man has been made Chief Minister. Once anyone joins BJP, all sins are washed away. All the corrupt people in BJP are washed in milk.

In the last Assembly election, Chirag Paswan contested alone. This time he is part of NDA.

This time Mukesh Sahani ji is with us, and in the last Assembly election, he not only caused losses to NDA but also to Mahagathbandhan.

MY (Muslim-Yadav) is your core vote bank, but recently you seem to be reaching beyond that.

I consider everyone as my vote bank. Tejashwi wants to take everyone along. I want to make a new Bihar by taking everyone together.

Your elder brother is contesting against the RJD candidate. What will you say to him?

I will ask him to give you [points to The Hindu’s reporter] the ticket so we can win [Mr. Yadav laughs]. Jokes apart, it’s fine. In democracy everyone has the right to contest elections. He will not make any impact on Mahagathbandhan because the people of Bihar have decided to form our government.

Is there any possibility of a post-poll alliance with Nitish Kumar?

No, there is nothing as such. We should not believe such rumours. After the election, his party will not even exist. Some will join BJP and half of them will come to RJD.

Why do you think BJP will not make Nitish Kumar Chief Minister again?

BJP has made him a mask. The entire administration is being controlled by Amit Shah while sitting in Bihar. Everyone, including the Chief Secretary to DGP, is reporting to him. Earlier, it never used to happen. You have seen Bihar for many years - Samrat Choudhary now holds review meetings with DMs and SPs. Nitish ji has never allowed such things before.

Nitish Kumar calls you baccha (child).

Yes, for him I am a baccha, but constitutionally I am an adult and also a father.

You attack BJP vehemently, but not Nitish Kumar. Why so?

I have sympathy for him. He is at such a stage that I do not like speaking much about him. BJP leaders have ruined him, and more than that, BJP-minded leaders within his party have caused the most damage, including a few retired officers.

Last time, you accepted Nitish Kumar’s proposal to keep communal forces away. If that happens again, will you accept him?

Nitish ji’s party will not even exist, and those who believe in our ideology will join RJD, while those who believe in their ideology will join BJP.

How do you see the Congress’s performance compared to the last Assembly election?

This time Congress will perform much better and will win more seats compared to the last Assembly election because winning candidates have been given preference.