Tejashwi diverts from Lalu's audiotape; levels counter-charge over Bihar Speaker poll loss

Making counter-allegations against the NDA after an audiotape of Lalu Prasad went viral wherein he is heard attempting to lure a BJP MLA while himself being lodged in jail, RJD has said that the ruling alliance is breaking the norms of the Bihar assembly. RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha in a press conference asked why Mukesh Sahni and Ashok Choudhary were present in the Assembly even as they are not MLAs or MLCs. While both Mukesh Sahni and Ashok Choudhary are ministers of CM Nitish Kumar's cabinet, Jha claimed that the ministers cannot sit in either house during the election of Speaker of the House. 

Party leader and Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav released a video and said, "You all know that mandate was stolen in Bihar Assembly election. Today again, when the election for Speaker was going on, they cheated. Rule says that whosoever is not a member of the house should go out. Mukesh Sahni and Ashok Chaudhary are neither MLA nor MLC. We have been informed that many of their people are absent in big numbers. Fake MLAs are made to sit at the back.  We are opposing this. Will house run by the rules or not? I opposed that whosoever is not a member of the house should go out. This is a loot. Constitution and Democracy is being killed here."

This comes after pro-tem speaker Jitan Ram Manjhi clarified that the leaders will not take part in polls but they can be present in the house. A short while later, BJP's Vijay Sinha was elected as the Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly.

READ | Tejashwi warns Nitish that RJD will expose corruption; JDU doesn't want him to be LoP

Audiotape Of Lalu Yadav

In a new controversy, an audiotape of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav has gone viral wherein he is allegedly heard speaking to a BJP MLA Lalan Paswan from Pirpainti constituency. The RJD supremo is heard asking Paswan to refrain from voting in the Speaker's election. Lalu Yadav has been languishing in jail since December 2017 after his conviction in multiple fodder scam cases. Currently, he is lodged at the bungalow allotted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Director in Ranchi owing to the novel coronavirus crisis. The Director, meanwhile, has been staying at the institute's guest-house.

READ | Ex-Bihar DyCM Sushil Modi accuses Lalu Yadav of personally luring NDA MLAs from jail

The audiotape in question has been released by the state unit of BJP after ex-Deputy CM of Bihar Sushil Modi claimed that Lalu is trying to lure NDA MLAs. In the audiotape, Lalu, whose very use of a phone itself may constitute a violation, is heard saying, "Many congratulations Paswan ji. Listen we will make you a minister and take your name forward. Right now, you refrain from voting or vote on our side." When Lalan Paswan says that he is supposed to vote along party lines, Lalu Yadav is heard saying, "Do not go to the assembly on that day. Be absent, tell them you tested positive for Coronavirus." Lalu was thought to be close to getting bail, though the hearing has been deferred till November 27. 

READ | Ex-Bihar DyCM Sushil Modi accuses Lalu Yadav of personally luring NDA MLAs from jail

Sushil Modi's allegations

Earlier on Tuesday, former Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi accused Lalu Prasad Yadav of personally calling NDA MLAs and luring them to switch sides. According to the BJP MLC, Lalu was promising ministerial berths to the legislators of the ruling coalition in his telephonic conversations. Moreover, Modi claimed that the ex-Bihar CM had himself picked up the call when he called on the phone number used to contact the MLAs. Warning him against orchestrating "dirty tricks", the BJP leader affirmed that such attempts to destabilize the Nitish Kumar-led government. 

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