Sharad Yadav rules himself out as oppn alliance's CM nominee in Bihar, bats for Tejashwi

Former JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav on Wednesday ruled himself out as a possible chief ministerial candidate for the opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar, asserting that Tejashwi Yadav, who has already been declared CM candidate by the RJD, fits the bill.

Yadav's assertion comes a week after leaders of Grand Alliance constituents like RLSP, HAM and VIP held a closed door meeting with him and later said cryptically that the former Union minister could be the five-party formation's "chehra" (face) in the absence of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, who is in Ranchi serving sentences in fodder scam cases.

"There is no possibility of my becoming the chief ministerial candidate. Tejashwi Yadav is doing fine and I think he would become acceptable to alliance partners as well.

"I, for my part, have been involved in national politics all through my life. And I am not going to change course at this stage," Sharad Yadav said.

Assembly elections in Bihar are due later this year
Madhaw Anand, national general secretary of RLSP, said their party chief "(Upendra) Kushwaha never said Sharad Yadav should be the Chief Ministerial candidate. By face he meant the role of a patron, which Lalu would have obviously played had he been available."