Lok Sabha elections: Tejashwi Yadav kicks off campaign in Gaya, Bhagalpur

PATNA/ BHAGALPUR: RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s younger son and leader of opposition in Bihar legislative assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav kicked off the Lok Sabha election campaign on Monday by addressing public meetings at Gaya, Banka and Bhagalpur in support of the Mahagathbandhan candidates.
Close aides of Tejashwi said he is expected to address around 200 election meetings across the state over the next two months.
“Tejashwi is the face of RJD and the star campaigner of Mahagathbandhan. He will be canvassing for candidates of all the Mahagathbandhan constituents — RJD, Congress, RLSP, HAM(S) and VIP. Thus, he will be addressing three to four election meetings every day,” Tejashwi’s political adviser Sanjay Yadav told TOI on Monday.
Canvassing for RJD candidate Shailesh Kumar alias Bulo Mandal from Bhagalpur, Tejashwi came down heavily on NDA governments at the Centre and in state. He accused PM Narendra Modi of making false promises and propaganda to win the 2014 general election. “It won’t be repeated in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections,” Tejashwi said while raising questions about employment scenario and issues of Vijay Malaya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Chowksi and others who fled the country after swindling money from banks in India.
Criticizing Nitish for snapping ties with RJD in 2017, Tejashwi said there was acute shortage of fertilizers, while the health services were also in a poor state. He accused deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi of protecting those involved in the multi-crore Srijan scam in Bhagalpur and some other districts.
Urging the audience to vote for the RJD candidate, Tejashwi said the Bhagalpur voters had showed a mirror to Modi by voting for RJD in 2014. “They should do the same this election as the NDA government stands exposed,” he said.
Political observers feel Tejashwi has become a good orator, especially after coming out of power in July 2017 when CM Nitish Kumar snapped ties with RJD-led Mahagathbandhan and rejoined BJP-led NDA.
“Though not as good as his father in terms of having a rustic touch, Tejashwi is a good orator in terms of eloquence,” said DM Diwakar, political observer and professor at AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies.