Congress will go back to Lalu after Bihar bypolls: Sushil Modi

Modi also attacked RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, asserting why would people listen to a leader who can't even control his own sons, pointing to the apparent power struggle between Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap.

Former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday termed the alleged rift between the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in the state as “fake”. Modi claimed the fight between the Congress and the RJD is just a show and both the parties will unite on the last day of the upcoming assembly bypolls in the state.

Congress will go back to Lalu after Bihar bypolls: Sushil Modi (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

“Once the bypoll ends; wagging its tail, Congress will go back to Lalu...The two can't be separated, just pretending to cut NDA's votes... In the assembly polls people voted for the NDA not the RJD... This time too the NDA will win the bypolls with majority...,” news agency ANI quoted Sushil Modi as saying.

Modi also attacked RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, asserting why would people listen to a leader who can't even control his own sons, pointing to the apparent power struggle between Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap.

The remarks by the BJP leader came a day after Tejashwi Yadav attacked Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar over "poor health facilities" in the state. He alleged that the bypolls are being conducted because the chief minister could not provide proper medical treatment to the MLAs of his own party.

“In the NITI Aayog report, Bihar is the worst-performing state in Health. These by-elections are happening because CM Nitish Kumar's government didn't provide treatment even to their MLAs. So on what basis will Nitish Kumar ask for votes from the public,” Yadav told reporters, according to news agency ANI.

There have been reports of fissures in the opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar. Lalu Prasad Yadav said that the RJD's candidates would lose their deposit in the elections if they remain in alliance with the Congress in the state ahead of the bypolls in two assembly constituencies, straining the relationship between the two parties. Meanwhile, Congress also fielded candidates for the two seats after the RJD announced its decision to contest the two seats, widening the rift between the two parties.

Bypolls are slated to be held on the Tarapur and Kusheshwar Asthan seats on October 30, following the demise of the sitting MLAs, both from the JD(U).