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Had I been out of jail, Tejashwi would have formed govt in Bihar: Lalu Prasad
RJD chief has been making accusations that the RJD lost several seats owing to electoral manipulations carried out during the counting of the 2020 assembly polls in which RJD had got 75 seats and was close to the magic figure of 122 with the opposition led Grand Alliance scoring 110
Making his first appearance after six years following incarceration at Tarapur, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday took pot-shots at the Nitish Kumar-led government calling it a dispensation facing internal friction among allies. He also accused the JD (U) strongman of resorting to cheating before forming the government after the Bihar assembly polls held last year.
“People of Bihar had made Tejashwi the chief minister. But Nitish Kumar formed the government through cheating and manipulation. Had I been outside, it would not have happened,” he said, amid thunderous applause from the crowd in a seven minute speech at Idgah Maidan in Tarapur where by-polls are scheduled along with the Kushweshwar Asthan assembly seat on October 30.
The RJD chief has been making accusations that the RJD lost several seats owing to electoral manipulations carried out during the counting of the 2020 assembly polls in which RJD had got 75 seats and was close to the magic figure of 122 with the opposition led Grand Alliance scoring 110.
Prasad, displaying his well-known wit made sharp comments laced with metaphor, and said the so-called ‘double engine’ government in Bihar- an euphemism for NDA ruling both the state and Centre-- had failed on all fronts as the engines were pulling each other in different directions.
“Is sarkar ko koi idhar toh koi udhar se khich raha hai ( this government is being pulled in different directions),” the RJD chief said, an oblique reference to how there was growing friction between BJP and JD(U) in the state government apparently obstructing development initiatives.
The RJD and JD(U) will face off in an intense battle in the upcoming by-polls which has become multi-cornered as the Congress too has fielded its candidates from both the seats. Prasad, who has started displaying his trademark sarcasm against his opponents, also mocked Kumar for saying that the RJD chief could get him shot.
“I had told we will give visharjan (immersion) of the NDA government. Now, Nitish is saying I can get him shot. Why will I do that? He will himself die,” he said. Prasad took pot-shots at the state government over prohibition and the Chief Minister’s alleged failure to get the special status category demand fulfilled.
“In Bihar, it’s rats that drink liquor,” he said, wearing a smile to make the point as how prohibition had opened channels of illegal liquor smuggling in the state. There have been media reports of how seized illegal liquor bottles have vanished from police stations with cops claiming that rodents drank up the liquor.
The RJD chief, who visited Tarapur in a helicopter and is scheduled to address another meeting at Kushweshwar Asthan in the afternoon on the last day of campaigning in both the seats, also poked fun at the Chief Minister for not getting the special category status demand fulfilled despite re-aligning with the BJP.
“Nitish had vowed he would prefer to bite the dust than join hands with the BJP. But he went back on his word and joined the saffron party. Did he get the special status for Bihar?” the 74-year-old former railway minister said, exhorting the crowd to vote for the RJD and oust the NDA from power.
He also referred to how he had given unconditional support to Kumar to make him the CM after JD (U) had joined hands with RJD and Congress in the 2015 assembly polls. “But he chose to join the BJP. In Bihar, there is no development and unemployment is rampant,” Prasad said, trashing the NDA’s claim of making big strides on the development front.
Besides, he also underlined his campaign for caste census would continue as it would give benefits to the poor and weaker sections in welfare schemes based on the numerical strength of the OBCs and backward classes. “I am now back in Bihar and will continue to be among you people. We have to fight,” he said. The RJD has fielded Arun Kumar from the Tarapur seat and Ganesh Bharti from the Kushweshwar Asthan seat. State president of the RJD Jagdanand Singh, former MP Jai Prakash Yadav and other senior leaders were present at RJD chief’s meeting.
Leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav also addressed rallies at Tarapur and announced that there would be a big rally on the issue of unemployment early next year either in January or February at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. Tejashwi, during his rallies in election meetings last year, had promised to give 10 lakh jobs to youth if his party came to power.
