Allies RJD, Congress trade barbs over Kanhaiya

Senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary, a former Rajya Sabha member, on Friday took a swipe at the Congress and dared the party to make Kumar its national president

PATNA

Former JNU students’ union leader Kanhaiya Kumar recently joined the Congress. (HT FILE)

Former JNU students’ union leader Kanhaiya Kumar’s recent induction into the Congress has apparently upset Bihar’s main Opposition party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which on Friday ridiculed both its ally and its new catch.

Senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary, a former Rajya Sabha member, on Friday took a swipe at the Congress and dared the party to make Kumar its national president.

Tiawari said Kanhaiya, who recently switched from Communist Party of India (CPI) to Congress, was an “expert in the art of delivering speeches”.

“At one point of time, leftists were seeing their future in Kanhaiya Kumar. Now Congress is seeing its future in them. Congress should make him (Kanhaiya Kumar) its president. For the last two years, there is no permanent president in the party,” he said.

Tiwary trashed suggestions that Kanhaiya Kumar posed a threat to RJD scion Tejashwi Yadav. “During 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Kanhaiya worked to defeat the RJD candidate from Begusarai by helping BJP divide secular votes,” he said.

Kanhaiya had lost to BJP heavyweight and union minister Giriraj Singh from Begusarai in 2019 parliamentary polls. RJD had finished third in the seat.

Tiwary said he had full sympathy with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. “Congress trusts outsiders more. Party has not been able to choose its permanent president for the last two years. I myself want Congress to be strong. This will strengthen the Grand Alliance,” he said.

Congress was quick to hit back, alleging that Tiwary “was being guided by RSS ideology”.

“Instead of strengthening the Grand Alliance, he is trying to weaken it by toeing a different ideology,” said Congress spokesperson Rajesh Rathore.