JD(U) rejects RJD’s “offer” for alliance before assembly polls

Patna, July.08(HS): The ruling Janata Dal (United) is not in a mood to quit NDA and join the RJD and Congress led opposition alliance in Bihar. The issue was indirectly raked up by leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Saturday last at the RJD national executive meeting by saying that his party was “ready to consider if such an offer came from there.”

Senior minister Shrawan Kumar said Monday that his party had a different culture from the RJD or the Congress. “Parties are not run through offers. Our policies and stand are very clear. Sometimes understandings are made but not at the cost of the principles,” said parliamentary affairs minister Kumar who is a close confident of Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar.

Tejashwi Yadav, who has come back from his 33 days long sabbatical only a few days back attended the national executive meeting amid the criticism on his leadership ability by leaders of his own party, toned down on Nitish Kumar against whom he had been declaring that doors of the opposition alliance were shut for him and even held placards of no entry.

He said, “The relations between JD(U) and BJP are getting bitter and in all probability they will not remain together for long.”

But after the crushing defeat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, in which his party failed to open account, and his mysterious absence from the scene, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad’s youngest son and heir apparent Tejashwi has changed his tone.

National vice president of RJD Shivanand Tewari, lashed out at the leader for “hiding in the den” and “surrounded by people of one particular caste”. Other leaders too were critical of the young leader for his indifferent attitude and not meeting the rank and file of the party.

Political observers say that Tejashwi Yadav has to change his stand amid the reports of possible revolt against him not only from the party men but also the family members. “Tejashwi, Tej Pratap Yadav and Misa Bharti are not on the same page and sharp differences have cropped up among them,” said an RJD leader pointing out that when Tejashwi started to speak at the Saturday meeting and said some people were trying to create confusion by saying that he was going to quit the office of the leader of opposition and that he knew who were those people, an uncomfortable looking Misa Bharti, a member of Rajya Sabha, just made her exit from the meeting.

While no other leader of the JD(U) commented on the reported offer, parliamentary affairs minister Shrawan Kumar rejected any such possibility and said there was no question of considering such proposals at the moment.

The election to Bihar assembly is scheduled in November 2020. The JD(U) had joined the hands of Lalu Prasad and Congress in 2015 assembly polls and this alliance had emerged victorious by defeating NDA.