Bihar bypolls: Nitish says for us Bihar is family, for others family everything

Bihar chief minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar’s statements come on a day when RJD leader and state’s Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said that the by-elections are happening because the state government couldn’t provide proper medical treatment to its own MLAs.

Ahead of the Bihar by-election in two constituencies, chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday that he is “busy serving people” of the state and will not comment on the probable outcome of the polls.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. (PTI)

When asked if he is confident of the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) victory in the polls, Kumar said voters are the masters and they would take the final decision, adding that while for him, Bihar is one family, for others, their own family is everything.

“Public is the master, they can decide whatever they want…For us, [the] entire Bihar is one family. For others, their own family is everything,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Kumar’s statement came hours after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Bihar’s leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said the need for the by-elections arose as the state government could not provide proper medical treatment to its own MLAs.

The Tarapur and Kusheshwar Asthan seats fell vacant after MLAs Mewa Lal Choudhary and Shashi Bhushan Hazari died, respectively. While Choudhary succumbed to Covid-19, Hazari lost his life while undergoing treatment for Hepatitis B.

“In the NITI Aayog report, Bihar is the worst-performing state in health. These by-elections are happening because CM Nitish Kumar's government did not provide treatment even to their MLAs. So, on what basis will Nitish Kumar ask for votes from the public,” Tejashwi told reporters.

Meanwhile, RJD patriarch and Tejashwi’s father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who returned to Bihar on Sunday after three-and-a-half years, is all set to begin campaigning for his party candidates from October 27 for the upcoming bypolls.

People familiar with the development told Hindustan Times that the ailing former chief minister will address one meeting each in both Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur.