'Can't Have Oppn Without Cong': Tejashwi Reveals Strategy for 2024, Says Time for Parties to Shed Ego

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said opposition cannot come together without the Congress and added that parties have to keep together to keep aside their egos and differences to save the country.

“The Congress is a pan-India party. The Opposition cannot come together without the Congress. The Congress has to become the foundation of any such Opposition… So it is our responsibility to present an alternative to the country. Everyone has to come together, keep aside their egos and differences to save the country,” Tejashwi Yadav said in a conversion with The Indian Express.

Highlighting the role of Congress in the opposition, the RJD leader also said there are at least 200 seats where the Congress and BJP are in a direct contest. He, however, added that in areas where the regional parties are strong, they should be put in the driving seat.

Speaking on the Bihar assembly elections last year where the RJD lost to NDA with a narrow margin, the RJD leader said that he forced the BJP to speak on issues and the RJD managed to get the mandate inspite of losing the elections.

“The mandate of the people was with the Mahagathbandhan, but you can say that the decision of the EC was in favour of the NDA… This also shows that we are not just a ‘M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) party’, as is often believed, but that we are an ‘A-Z party’,” he said.

When questioned about giving 70 seats to Congress and later’s underperformance, Tajashwi said that the grand old party has been its oldest ally and RJD has to make sacrifices to keep the alliance intact.

“Every party wants to fight on more seats. When you are fighting as part of an alliance, whether it is the Congress or RJD, it is all one… If you have to keep the alliance intact, you have to make some small sacrifices, and being the largest party in Bihar, we did that and brought everyone together,” he said.

Tejashwi also said that he has good relations with LJP leader Chirag Paswan. Paswan was recently ousted from his party chairmanship by his uncle and the former has been trying to assert back his position.

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