Big announcement on jobs shortly: Tejashwi Yadav

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Friday said the 'Mahagathbandhan' government, which is a little over two months' old, has already filled thousands of vacancies in the state, and a "big announcement" providing more jobs will soon be made.

The RJD heir apparent stated this at a rally in his home district of Gopalganj, where a bypoll is scheduled next week for the eponymous Assembly segment which his party seeks to wrest from the BJP.

"You have been blessing the BJP for the last 17 years. Give just three years to our candidate Mohan Gupta and if he does not perform, don't vote for us in the next Assembly polls due in 2025," said Yadav.

The bye-election was necessitated by the death of four-term BJP MLA Subhash Singh, whose wife Kusum Devi is the party’s candidate.

The deputy CM sought to strike a rapport with the youth as he called himself a "32-year-old fellow from Gopalganj who is giving hell to the BJP and its government at the Centre."

Thanking Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who quit the NDA and joined the 'Mahagathbandhan', the RJD leader maintained, "He has said that efforts will be made to provide jobs to 20 lakh people, twice the number I had promised in the last Assembly polls."

"Our government is a little over two months old. In this short period, we have filled thousands of vacancies. But brace yourself for a big announcement ('bada elaan') that will be made in a few days," said Yadav, evoking applause.

He also asked the voters to be on guard against alleged attempts by the BJP to "raise the bogey of Hindu-Muslim divide" for electoral gains.

In an apparent dig at his aunt Indira Yadav, who is fighting on a BSP ticket, and Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM, which has also fielded its candidate, Yadav said "B teams of BJP, which have little chances of winning, will try to help" the saffron party.

"I seek your (people's) blessings on behalf of RJD president Lalu Prasad who could not come because of kidney problems for the treatment of which he recently visited Singapore and may travel again for a transplant," said Yadav, who is the legendary leader's younger son.

He shared the dais with many prominent leaders of the Chief Minister's JD(U), the Congress and the Left.

"Gopalganj has always had a special place in our hearts. This was the first district that I visited after becoming the deputy CM. I have already commissioned Rs 60 crore for the renovation of the renowned Durga temple at Thave and sanctioned a medical college to be set up in the town," added the RJD leader.

Earlier, JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan told the rally "the combined leadership of Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav will capture power in Delhi after the next Lok Sabha polls."