Former Bihar Deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav launched a tirade against BJP and said that the BJP has made Bharat Ratna a deal in the Bihar Assembly on Monday. This fierce criticism was given over the announcement of awarding the Bharat Ratna to former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur. “I am happy that Karpoori Thakur got (Bharat Ratna)…They (BJP) have made Bharat Ratna a deal. Deal with us and we will give you Bharat Ratna,” former Bihar Deputy CM said in Bihar Vidhan Sabha ahead of the floor test of CM Nitish Kumar’s government to prove their majority.
The RJD leader applauded Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for creating history by taking oath for the ninth consecutive time. “I stand against this new government. I want to thank CM Nitish Kumar for creating history by taking oath 9 times,” he said. “We will always respect CM Nitish Kumar. When you came out of Raj Bhavan after resigning, you (Nitish Kumar) said ‘Mann nhi lag raha tha, hum log nachne gaane ke liye thode hai (we were not there to dance and sing), we were there to support you,” the RJD leader added.
Referring to himself as the “nephew” of Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav vowed to stop BJP dominance. “We think of you (CM Nitish Kumar) as a member of our family. We are from the Samajwadi family. Jo aap jhanda le kar ke chale the ki Modi ko desh mein rokne hain, ab aapka Bhateeja jhanda utha kar ke Modi ko Bihar mein rokne ka kaam karega (the flag you had raised to stop the BJP across the country, now your nephew will carry that flag and stop Modi in Bihar),” the ex-CM said.
He expressed sympathy towards the MLAs of the JDU, noting that they will be tasked with facing the public and explaining why Nitish Kumar was sworn in three times within a single term. “I feel bad for JDU MLAs because they will have to go among the public and answer. If someone asks you why Nitish Kumar took oath 3 times, what will you say? Earlier you used to criticise them (BJP) and now you are praising them, what will you say? We (RJD) will say that we have given jobs,” the RJD leader said.
Tejashwi Yadav took a dig at Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi for backing the JDU and NDA coalition, stating,”In the last session, when Jitan Ram Manjhi presented his views, the CM got angry and later Manjhi Ji said that someone gave you (Nitish Kumar) wrong medicine and that his mental condition was not good and should be treated. Now I have full trust that Manjhi Ji will give good medicine.”
Earlier, In January, Nitesh Kumar went into a dismal after not being titled Convenor of India. The opposition bloc, which he spearheaded, abandoned the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar and the national coalition, opting instead to establish a new government with the backing of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Nitish resigned as chief minister on the 28th of January, calming all frantic speculations around his future and that of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. The JD(U) has 45 MLAs in the House of 243 while its partners, the BJP and the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), have 79 and 4 sitting legislators respectively. With the support of another Independent MLA, the NDA has 128 MLAs in the House against 115 of the Mahagathbandhan.
To go past the majority mark in the House, the ruling alliance needs 122 votes.
