There are cracks in RJD: Nitish Kumar

Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has dismissed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s allegations that he had hatched a “conspiracy” to break his party.

“It is nothing but a coup,” Kumar said about the decision of several RJD MLAs to walk out. “The rift within the RJD is now for all to see,” Kumar said, adding, “If they come to us, we shall welcome them”.

On Monday, 13 of the RJD’s 22 MLAs had “broken away” – in what looks like a big jolt to the Congress-RJD alliance before the next Lok Sabha polls.

However, a few hours after the Speaker declared them a separate group, six MLAs “went back” claiming their signatures on the application to the Speaker had been forged.

Even if all 13 MLAs walk out, the new group will still be two short of the number required not to attract provisions of the anti-defection law. The law states at least two-thirds of a legislative party must break away to form a separate entity.

Lalu had said yesterday: “Nitish hatched a conspiracy with the Speaker to break my party. But, the move has backfired.”

The present fiasco will affect Lalu Prasad Yadav’s comeback bid, and more so, because long-time partner Ram Vilas Paswan looks set to join the BJP.

Lalu is already not a favourite of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi because of the fodder scam taint. A weaker Lalu will not help matters and the beneficiary could be Nitish Kumar.

However, the whiff of forgery – six MLAs claiming they had not signed the letter to the Speaker – is not making Kumar look too rosy either.