Welcome ECI's decision, JD(U) doesn't matter our fight is against BJP, says Tejashwi Yadav after poll dates announcement

Sep 25, 2020

Patna (Bihar) [India], September 25 : We welcome the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing the poll dates for Bihar Assembly and the Mahagathbandhan will come to power this time, said RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday.
The RJD leader said that the Mahagathbandhan's (Grand Alliance's) fight ia against the BJP and not against the Janata Dal United (JDU), which according to him stands no chance.
"We welcome the decision of the Election Commission. We are assured as people of Bihar want to get rid of this government. JD(U) does not matter in the election, our fight is against BJP," Yadav told ANI here.
"The people of Bihar are ready, be it the poor, jobless, farmers, workers, they are ready for a change. They have exploited the public and humiliated the workers. Many jobs are lying vacant but they were not given. A murder every four hours, rapes happening, these questions will have to be answered. Why was Bihar not given special status, or a special package, they will ask these questions this time," he added.
Yadav further said that the people also remember Chief Minister Nitish Kumar disrespecting the mandate given by the voters in 2015 Assembly elections by reuniting with BJP in 2017.
"The main issues will be poverty, hunger, healthcare, migration, unemployment, breakdown of the education system. Nitishji will surely go out of power this time, NDA will lose big time in these polls. Our government will come to power, the people have decided this," Yadav said.
The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in three phases with polling to take place on October 28, and November 3 and 7, with the counting of votes to take place on November 10, according to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.
In the previous Assembly elections held in the state in 2015, JDU, RJD and Congress had fought the elections together under the Mahagathbandhan banner.
On the other hand, BJP-led NDA had fought the elections with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and other allies.
RJD with 80 seats had emerged as the single largest party in the 2015 Assembly elections, followed by JDU (71), and BJP (53). However, BJP got the largest vote share (24.42 per cent), followed by RJD with 18.35 per cent and JDU (16.83 per cent).
After the polls, however, a rift emerged between JDU and the RJD in 2017, leading to CM Nitish Kumar snapping ties and rejoining ties with the BJP-led NDA to retain power in Bihar.