Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has revealed today what he expects of ally Lalu Yadav and his son, Tejashwi Yadav, who is the No. 2 in his government. “Those facing corruption charges should face the public and come clean on the corruption charges. And we are confident it will happen,” said a spokesperson for the chief minister’s party after a lengthy meeting today.
Mr Kumar’s party the Janata Dal United or JDU has not asked Tejashwi Yadav to quit as Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, but the message was clear, said those present at the meeting – Mr Yadav junior must explain how the allegations of corruption against him do not hold or then resign from the government.
“We created a precedent by taking the resignations of our own ministers,” JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said at a press briefing, referring to several instances in the past when Nitish Kumar has asked his ministers to quit over corruption charges.
These are the first comments by the chief minister’s party since Lalu Yadav was raided by the CBI on Friday on allegations that he used his earlier post as union Railways Minister to help his family acquire three acres in Patna at dream prices. The land is owned in part by Tejashwi Yadav, 27.
At today’s meeting, Nitish Kumar did not denounce the raids against Lalu Yadav as political vendetta by the centre, like other opposition leaders have. For days since the raids, his silence was deafening and he ordered JDU leaders to follow his example. The result was a heightened focus on whether the alliance that governs Bihar (the Congress is the third member) is skidding towards political insolvency.
“We know how to respect coalition dharma. We will follow it till our last breath. But we do hope that the charges will be countered among the public,” said Neeraj Kumar, flagging that the ball is now in Lalu Yadav’s court. The comments came after Nitish Kumar met with hundreds of delegates from the JDU including parliamentarians and state lawmakers to discuss the handling of a series of corruption cases that are blowing up for Lalu Yadav and his children.
Lalu Yadav’s party the RJD has reiterated that Tejashwi Yadav will not resign on the basis of the CBI charges against him. “Tejashwi has done more than a satisfactory job as Deputy CM. There has been no allegation of corruption against him. Where is the question of him resigning?” said senior RJD leader Ram Chandra Purvey. Lalu Yadav has said that the charges are fabricated and that in any case, when the alleged transgression took place, Tejashwi Yadav was a minor.
The fact that Nitish Kumar has not insisted yet on Tejashwi Yadav exiting the government, along with the fact that the JDU has decided today to support the opposition’s joint candidate for Vice President, allows the premise that the chief minister remains committed for now to the side that has collated against the BJP.
But Nitish Kumar would also like to maintain his reputation as an honest administrator untainted by corruption scandals during his 12 years in power as Bihar Chief Minister, and as charges have piled up against his ally, there has been speculation that he could be weighing a political realignment.
He broke away a few weeks ago from the 18-party opposition team to back the BJP’s choice for President, an audacious move given that he had pitched the coming together of “secular” anti-BJP parties. His siding with the BJP was seen as an expression of interest in exploring a new arrangement ahead of the 2019 general election – one that could see him reattached to the BJP, with whom he split in 2013 after a 17-year alliance.
The BJP’s Bihar chief Nityanand Rai said yesterday that if Nitish Kumar ditches his current alliance, “we will not be a part of the government, but can offer outside support.”
By NDTV
