Bihar elections: Tejashwi Yadav confirms multiple Deputy CMs, also from Muslim community

As the debate over Muslim representation in the Bihar government if Mahagathbandhan comes to power intensifies, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and the Opposition’s Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday confirmed that there will be multiple Deputy Chief Ministers, including one from the Muslim community.

Recently, after Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani was projected as a Deputy Chief Minister candidate for the Mahagathbandhan, demands have grown louder for a Deputy Chief Minister post for the Muslim community, which makes up to 17 per cent of the state's population. Leaders from the Congress, an ally in the Mahagathbandhan, have also publicly supported this demand.

In an exclusive interview when asked whether there would be a Muslim Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav responded, “Yes, definitely,” without elaborating further.

 When pressed on whether there would be multiple Deputy Chief Ministers, one from the Dalit community and another from the Muslim community, Yadav said that the announcement about having several Deputy Chief Ministers had already been made earlier.

“The day this announcement was made, Ashok



Gehlot ji had said that if Mukesh Sahani would be made Deputy Chief Minister, there would also be others. The concerns raised by various sections will be addressed. We want to convey this through your channel,” Yadav said.

When specifically asked if there would be other Deputy Chief Ministers, including from the Muslim and Dalit communities, Yadav reiterated, “Yes, definitely there will be”.

“We will take everyone along, and everyone will get a fair chance of representation,” Yadav added, suggesting an attempt to move beyond the traditional Muslim-Yadav (MY) image of the RJD.

He further said that while the BJP often talks about representation, it is the Mahagathbandhan that has truly ensured inclusivity in ticket distribution. “This time, if anyone has given tickets to minorities, it is the RJD and the Mahagathbandhan. We have given representation to everyone, minorities, OBCs, EBCs, and even upper castes,” Yadav said.

Meanwhile, the ruling NDA alliance has also reached out to the community, claiming that it is the JD(U) and its allies who have genuinely stood by Muslims in the state, while the Mahagathbandhan has treated them merely as a vote bank.