In a significant political development in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has declared himself as the Chief Ministerial face of the Grand Alliance. This announcement was made at a rally in Ara, in the presence of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav. While Tejashwi Yadav asserted his claim, Rahul Gandhi remained silent on the issue.

Tejashwi Yadav's declaration underscores his ambition and growing assertiveness within the Grand Alliance. He launched a sharp attack on the current Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, branding him a "copycat Chief Minister" who merely imitates the policies and initiatives of others. According to Tejashwi, Nitish Kumar lacks originality, and his government is simply following the path that Tejashwi is paving. To emphasize his point, Tejashwi asked the crowd whether they preferred an "original Chief Minister" or a "duplicate CM," positioning himself as the genuine choice to lead Bihar.

Akhilesh Yadav, on the other hand, openly supported Tejashwi's candidacy. He questioned, "What better face could there be than him?" and assured Tejashwi of his full support. Akhilesh Yadav echoed Tejashwi's criticism of the current government, describing it as a "copycat government" with no vision. He argued that while such a government can imitate, it cannot bring forth vision, and the people of Bihar desire an "original CM".

Rahul Gandhi's silence on the issue is noteworthy. Despite his presence at the rally and his ongoing "Voter Adhikar Yatra" in Bihar, he has refrained from explicitly endorsing Tejashwi as the Chief Ministerial candidate. While there is visible camaraderie between Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi, Congress's hesitation to publicly announce their support for Tejashwi is somewhat mystifying. Some political analysts suggest that this reluctance may be linked to ongoing seat-sharing negotiations within the Grand Alliance. Specifically, it is speculated that Congress is seeking more seats to contest in the upcoming elections, and their endorsement of Tejashwi may be contingent on RJD's willingness to concede more seats.

In the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, Congress contested 70 seats but only won 19, which affected the overall performance of the alliance, even though RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats. It is reported that Congress is planning to contest 70 seats this time as well.

Adding another dimension to the political landscape, Rahul Gandhi has been strongly criticizing the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP, accusing them of colluding to steal votes. He alleged that the ECI is working in partnership against the opposition parties and vowed not to allow them to steal the election in Bihar, as he claims they have done in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Karnataka. Tejashwi Yadav echoed these sentiments, stating that the Election Commission is no longer acting as an impartial body.