Tejashwi Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, stated today that his party’s victory in by-elections to two assembly constituencies in Bihar would cause political unrest in the state, where the NDA has a narrow majority.Â
Mr. Yadav, the state assembly’s leader of the opposition, made the statements while campaigning for the RJD candidate in Munger’s Tarapur assembly constituency.
“You could see a Khela (upset) in a few months if we are blessed with a victory here (Tarapur) and in Kusheshwar Asthan,” Mr. Yadav said at an election rally, apparently drawing inspiration from Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress’s “Khela hobe” (game will happen) slogan coined ahead of West Bengal’s high-voltage assembly elections a few months ago.
In last year’s assembly elections, the RJD won 75 seats, one more than the BJP and much more than Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD (U), which only managed to win 50.
Nonetheless, the NDA, which joined a few smaller parties, won a slim majority in the 243-member assembly.
The five-party Grand Alliance led by the RJD, which included the Congress and the Left, fell by approximately ten seats short of the magic number. The opposition coalition has blamed “manipulation” in close-fought hearts.
“It is incorrect to assert that COVID-19 was responsible for the MLA’s death. A failing healthcare system caused his death, and the blame falls on Nitish Kumar, who has been in power in the state for 16 years “Mr. Kumar’s deputy for around two years, until the JD (U) leader’s unexpected return to the NDA, claimed the RJD leader.
The death of JD (U) MLA Shashi Bhushan Hazari in the reserved seat of Kusheshwar Asthan, according to the younger son and heir apparent of RJD head Lalu Prasad, was also a result of insufficient healthcare services in the state.
“Why would he have to be rushed to Delhi for treatment of something as common as hepatitis?” he questioned.
Although the RJD has expressed confidence in its ability to wrest the two seats from the JD (U), it faces a fight from the Congress, which has entered the race in both constituencies.
The allies risk diluting each other’s votes, potentially benefiting the JD (U) candidate.
The RJD has also been embarrassed by Lalu Prasad’s elder son having a tantrum and declaring that he would follow the “alliance dharma” in his manner, backing his father’s party in Tarapur but the Congress in Kusheshwar Asthan.
Conflict Between Brothers
Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder brother of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and a party legislator, has announced that he will campaign for Congress candidate Atirek Kumar in the Kusheshwar Asthan assembly by-election.
He declared that the newly formed Chhatra Janshakti Parishad would campaign for the Congress in Kusheshwar Asthan but for the RJD in Tarapur. On October 30, bypolls will be held in both assembly seats.
Dr. Ashok Kumar, the Congress candidate’s father and the functioning president of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC), recently visited Tej Pratap to ask for his support in the Kusheshwar Asthan bypolls.
It should be noted that the Congress-RJD cooperation has broken down for the by-elections since both parties have fielded candidates against each other in both seats.
Tej Pratap, Lalu’s oldest son, is a serving RJD legislator, and his support for the Congress has embarrassed Tejashwi while also being a setback for him, as ties between the two brothers have been tense in recent months.
According to sources, Tej Pratap’s proclamation of support for the Congress candidate is an open revolt against the party and is likely to result in disciplinary punishment.
