Patna: Lalu Yadav's son and political heir Tejaswi Yadav is all set to be named the leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD's legislature party.
That will not only put the first-time lawmaker at the head of the single largest party in the new assembly, but will also pave the way for him to be inducted into Nitish Kumar's council of ministers that takes oath on Friday in Patna.
There is buzz in Patna's political circles that Tejaswi is in the running for Deputy Chief Minister, a post that many in Lalu Yadav's RJD believe is richly deserved by a party that powered the Grand Alliance to a two-thirds majority in Bihar.
Of the 178 seats that the alliance has won, the RJD got 80, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) got 71 and the Congress, 27. Nitish Kumar, who led the coalition, will be Chief Minister for a third time running.
Sources say Lalu Yadav - who did not contest this year's Bihar election following his conviction in a fodder scam case - is pushing for the Deputy CM post for his son. Older son Tej Pratap is in line to be a minister too.
But the spotlight is on Tejaswi, who sources in the RJD say is the more politically astute. He told NDTV last week, "If someone makes me a minister why will I not become one?"
Tejaswi shot down a question on sibling rivalry saying, "There is no competition with my brother and this is not the time to discuss which one of us is Lalu's political successor."
Both Tejaswi, who celebrated his 26th birthday on the day the Bihar results were announced, and Tej Pratap, who turns 28 on Saturday, contested elections for the first time this year. Yet the speculation about ministerial berths for the brothers had begun as soon as it became clear that the RJD had posted a spectacular performance.
If Tejaswi becomes deputy chief minister, he will have to fill big shoes. The last man to hold the post of Nitish Kumar's deputy was the seasoned BJP leader Sushil Modi, known to be a good administrator.
Two years ago Mr Kumar dumped the BJP, an ally for 17 years.
That will not only put the first-time lawmaker at the head of the single largest party in the new assembly, but will also pave the way for him to be inducted into Nitish Kumar's council of ministers that takes oath on Friday in Patna.
There is buzz in Patna's political circles that Tejaswi is in the running for Deputy Chief Minister, a post that many in Lalu Yadav's RJD believe is richly deserved by a party that powered the Grand Alliance to a two-thirds majority in Bihar.
Sources say Lalu Yadav - who did not contest this year's Bihar election following his conviction in a fodder scam case - is pushing for the Deputy CM post for his son. Older son Tej Pratap is in line to be a minister too.
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Tejaswi shot down a question on sibling rivalry saying, "There is no competition with my brother and this is not the time to discuss which one of us is Lalu's political successor."
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If Tejaswi becomes deputy chief minister, he will have to fill big shoes. The last man to hold the post of Nitish Kumar's deputy was the seasoned BJP leader Sushil Modi, known to be a good administrator.
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