Nitish Kumar not ready to cede a larger space to the RJD
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (Photo: PTI/File)
New Delhi: With the ambitious plan for the Janata Parivar merger now in tatters, Bihar appears all set for a bitter war between ruling partners JD(U) and RJD. With Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar not ready to cede a larger space to the RJD, his foe-turned-ally Lalu Prasad Yadav is seeking to trigger an exodus of MLAs from the JD(U).
The JD(U) has also begun parleys to chart an independent course if Mr Yadav doesn’t fall in line to contest the Bihar elections under the leadership of Mr Nitish Kumar. Some sources said the JD(U) would attempt to forge an alliance with the Congress and the Left.
However, sources in the RJD said as many as 25 MLAs from the JD(U)’s ranks were weighing their options to join either Mr Yadav’s RJD or the NDA on the eve of the elections. The RJD is also strongly wooing former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s new political outfit for an alliance, besides the Left parties.
“Mr Manjhi can bring the Mahadalit vote base to the RJD, which will be the principal party with a stake in the Yadav and Muslim vote banks. The JD(U) is not left with much of a vote base, as the BJP has walked away with upper caste support. In such a scenario, there is no merit in going for equal seat-sharing with the JD(U) and accept even the leadership of Mr Kumar,” said a source.
( Source : dc )
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