Published 09:15 IST, January 2nd 2021
Rabri Devi predicts Nitish Kumar's future with BJP: 'Bihar CM's aides will be sidelined'
In yet another attack on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, RJD has claimed that his writ no longer ran in the government, and it was the BJP, which was calling shots
In yet another attack on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, RJD on Friday has claimed that his writ no longer runs in the government, and it is the BJP which is calling the shots. This time the remark was made by former CM and Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi. The RJD national vice president, who preceded Kumar as Chief Minister, was replying to queries from reporters about the recent bureaucratic reshuffle in which some officers believed to be close to the Chief Minister have been divested of the plum posts they had been holding for long.
"The writ of Nitish Kumar no longer runs in his own government. He should have thought carefully before taking oath as Chief Minister again. All those who have been loyal to Nitish Kumar and known to be having his interests in mind are likely to be sidelined in the days to come," claimed Rabri Devi.
Asked about the charge by JD(U)-BJP combine that her son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav had the propensity to "run away" from Bihar, she said, "People visit places because they have some business there. Do the leaders of the BJP and the JD(U) spend their lives locked in safes?" She asserted that "only members of my family or my party have the right to question my son about his personal life". She also expressed concern over the deteriorating health of her husband, the RJD''s jailed supremo Lalu Prasad, and voiced displeasure over the NDA raising the issue of his prolonged stay at a bungalow in Ranchi.
The BJP returned with a tally of 74 in the 243-strong assembly while the JD(U) could manage only 43. The RJD, though it fell short of achieving power, won the maximum number of 75 seats. recently, Nitish Kumar has resigned from the post of JDU president and his aide RCP Singh has taken over.
Shyam Rajak's claim and RJD's offer
RJD leader Shyam Rajak has said that as many as 17 RJD MLAs are in touch with Tejashwi Yadav-led party. Rajak claimed that all the 17 MLAs wanted to join RJD but was denied entry as Lalu Prasad Yadav's party doesn't want to resort to unconstitutional means. Citing anti-defection laws, Rajak said that if 25 to 26 legislators from JD(U) will join the party, then their membership will be accepted. The RJD leader claimed that JD(U) MLAs are unhappy about the way BJP was asserting itself on Nitish Kumar.
Earlier, RJD leader Uday Narayan Choudhary urged CM Nitish to leave NDA and return to the Mahagatbandhan citing BJP's alleged contempt for small parties. He had claimed that the JP Nadda-led party wanted to finish JD(U) and highlighted Arunachal Pradesh as an example. Moreover, he predicted that LJP president Chirag Paswan shall be inducted into the Union Cabinet soon to trouble Nitish Kumar.
He said, "So, we want to appeal to the honourable CM- leave NDA and join Mahagatbandhan. Play an important role in making Tejashwi Yadav the CM. You play politics at the Central level and be an Opposition leader. Everyone will back you."
JD(U)'s reduced clout
The 2020 Bihar Assembly election witnessed a voter turnout of 57.05 per cent as against that of 56.66 per cent in the 2015 polls. The polls turned out to be a nail-biting contest with NDA emerging victorious in 125 seats as against that of 110 seats won by the Mahagatbandhan. BJP, RJD, JD(U), Congress won 74, 75, 43, and 19 seats respectively. BJP winning more seats than JD(U) for the first time in a Bihar Assembly election led to the speculation that JD(U)'s clout in the alliance will reduce. LJP is believed to have damaged JD(U)'s prospects in 32 seats despite bagging a solitary seat.
While Kumar again took oath as the CM of Bihar, BJP has two Deputy CMs in 4-time MLAs Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi. Kumar's recent revelation that BJP pressurised him to become the Chief Minister set the rumour mills abuzz. While acknowledging that the ex-JD(U) chief didn't want to become the CM, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi opined that Kumar was convinced to take up the post as he was the face of the coalition in the polls.
Updated 09:15 IST, January 2nd 2021