Tejashwi Hits Back At Prashant Kishor’s ‘9th Fail’ Jibe, Tells Chirag To ‘Stop Drama’ Over CM Aspiration
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav launched sharp responses against political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan as he reacted to their recent remarks.
‘A Degree Doesn’t Make a Leader,’ Says Tejashwi Yadav
Reacting to Prashant Kishor’s earlier comments on his educational qualifications, Tejashwi dismissed the criticism, arguing that leadership should not be measured by academic degrees. Kishor had recently remarked that Yadav hadn’t passed Class 10, contrasting it with the plight of educated youth in Bihar.
Tejashwi told news agency ANI, “No… it doesn’t hurt me. You cannot get all the qualities just by having a degree. You have seen many things in practical life, but your experience of those is also limited. And I was a sportsperson, I am a cricketer, so he will not talk about it.”
He further cited the ongoing debate around Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s qualifications to highlight the double standards in such discussions.
“But if it was a matter of degree, then, for eleven years, to date, the people of the country do not know what his degree is. But it is coming on us. So we will respect whoever is given the highest post,” Tejashwi told ANI.
On June 5, Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj party, had taken a jibe at RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, suggesting that while he is keen on seeing his son Tejashwi as the “king of Bihar” despite not clearing Class 9, graduates from common households are struggling to find jobs.
“We need to learn from Lalu Prasad Yadav how to worry about children. Lalu ji’s son did not pass the 9th class, but Lalu Yadav is so worried about his child that he still wants him to become the king of Bihar. When we say this, people say that we complain about him. No! We are praising Lalu Yadav,” Kishor had said during a rally in Bihar’s Saran.
‘What’s with the Drama?’: Tejashwi Yadav On Chirag Paswan’s Chief Ministerial Aspirations
Turning his attention to Chirag Paswan, Tejashwi ridiculed the recent statements from Paswan’s camp projecting him as a future Chief Minister of Bihar. Without mincing words, the RJD leader said such ambitions should be clearly stated rather than cloaked in theatrical slogans.
“We have no problem with that, but it should be said openly. If Chirag Paswan ji or anyone else has the desire, then they should openly say, ‘Yes, I want to become the Chief Minister.’ What’s the need for drama, like saying ‘Now Bihar is calling me’? You were sent away from Bihar for so many years,” Tejashwi remarked.
He argued that Paswan’s return pitch lacked substance, pointing out contradictions in the narrative.
“There should be logic. ‘Bihar is calling you’ should mean you won from Bihar, you are a Bihari, you are in the central ministry from Bihar’s quota. Now suddenly you are saying Bihar is calling. Just say clearly, ‘I want to become the Chief Minister.’ Say it openly. Wherever we go, we say clearly: not only do we want to form the government, but we also want to build Bihar. Just give us a chance to do that,” he added.
‘BJP Has Taken Over JD(U), Nitish Won’t Return as CM’: Tejashwi Yadav
Tejashwi further claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) now exercises control over the Janata Dal (United), casting doubts over Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s continuation post-assembly elections. He alleged that key decisions, including ticket distribution, would be dictated by BJP leaders.
“…Everyone in Bihar knows that Nitish Kumar will not be the chief minister after the elections. Amit Shah has clarified this multiple times… The BJP has hijacked the JDU. Sanjay Jha is an RSS person. He is in JDU from Arun Jaitley’s quota. JDU ticket distribution will also be done by Amit Shah, not Nitish Kumar…” he asserted.
Earlier, Chirag Paswan, addressing a rally in Arrah—a JD(U) stronghold—announced that his party would contest all 243 seats in the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls in support of the NDA.
“For those who ask from where I will contest, I want to tell you that my party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and I will contest on 243 seats to make NDA candidates win and strengthen the NDA alliance. My goal is that the NDA moves towards victory,” the Union Minister said.
He also said he would let the people decide both his constituency and his candidacy, adding, “I will not contest the election from Bihar but for Bihar.”
In the backdrop of these exchanges, Tejashwi reiterated his commitment to development, criticising the current coalition government for failing to deliver on key fronts.
He questioned the administration’s performance, asking whether it had managed to set up IT parks, SEZs, industrial clusters, or educational hubs.
He assured that if given the opportunity, the RJD would fulfil the promises the present government has left unfulfilled.
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