Chirag Paswan criticised Tejashwi Yadav’s absence from Bihar after elections, calling it demoralising for party workers.
Patna
Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, criticising his absence from Bihar following the party’s poor performance in the state Assembly elections. Paswan described Tejashwi’s decision to leave the state during an ongoing Assembly session as politically unwise and demoralising for RJD workers and supporters.
Addressing a press conference in Patna, Paswan said he had no objection to Tejashwi Yadav taking a personal vacation with his family. However, he stressed that holding a constitutional post comes with responsibilities that cannot be set aside at a critical political moment. Leaving Bihar in the middle of an Assembly session reflects poor political judgement and has discouraged RJD workers and supporters, Paswan said.
He further alleged that instead of introspecting on the reasons behind the electoral defeat and addressing the public, the RJD leader chose to remain absent from the state. According to Paswan, this absence sent a negative signal to party cadres who were looking for direction and reassurance after the setback in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.
Drawing a comparison with his own political conduct, Paswan recalled the aftermath of the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections. When our party lost in 2020, I appeared before the media the very next day, accepted the defeat, and explained the reasons behind it. RJD suffered a massive defeat in 2025, but Tejashwi Yadav has not shown similar accountability, he said.
Paswan also claimed that the RJD has remained politically weak since losing power in 2005. He alleged that the party’s resurgence in later years depended heavily on external support. In 2010, the NDA won convincingly. In 2015, Nitish Kumar gave a lifeline to the RJD. In 2020, I gave political life to the RJD. Had the NDA contested the 2020 election united, the result would have mirrored the 2025 outcome, Paswan asserted. Responding to speculation about attempts to break the Grand Alliance, Paswan dismissed such suggestions, stating that the National Democratic Alliance remains strong.
