EXCLUSIVE | 'If Bihar doesn’t progress, the country can’t either,' Tejashwi Yadav tells THE WEEK

With the Grand Alliance announcing Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate, the RJD leader is now the principal challenger in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. The RJD’s star campaigner and inheritor of his father’s social justice legacy, Tejashwi has broadened his appeal to include “economic justice” as he promises jobs and development.

Tejashwi spoke to THE WEEK in an exclusive interview at his 1 Polo Road residence in Patna a day after he was announced as the CM face of the Mahagathbandhan. As the election approaches, Tejashwi was seen relaxed and self-assured. “I’m in this for the long haul. What I say, I’ll do,” he says.

In his interview, the RJD leader shed light on how the 2025 election is different from the previous one in terms of messaging and campaign style and how he hopes to win the votes of youth and women. Tejashwi opened up about the Mahagathbandhan's advantages over NDA in the upcoming election and the political future of the JD(U) and Nitish Kumar. He also revealed how he plans to implement his promise of a government job for every family and take on the NDA over SIR issue. “If Bihar doesn’t progress, the country can’t either,” he tells THE WEEK.

When asked about Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj backing out from the election, Tejashwi said, “Everyone has the right to contest. My focus is on real issues—how to make Bihar number one, create jobs, improve education and health care, and attract industries. I will stay focused on that. There are many political parties who survive because they attack us. My focus is on development.”

Read Tejashwi Yadav's first exclusive interview after he was announced the CM candidate of Mahagathbandhan in the latest issue (November 9, 2025) of THE WEEK magazine.

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