E-Paper
Margaret Alva reacts after Nitish Kumar dumps BJP in Bihar
Chief minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot said the crisis in Bihar was "bound to happen". He said the RJD and the BJP made an alliance just for the sake of power.
Margaret Alva, Union minister who was Opposition's joint candidate for the recently held vice-presidential poll, on Tuesday reiterated her call for a "strong and united opposition" hours after Nitish Kumar staked claim to form a new government of the Grand Alliance in Bihar. She also called the political crisis in Bihar a result of "BJP’s obsession with destabilising and devouring’" regional parties.
“Bihar’s political realignment is a result of the BJP’s obsession with first destabilising then devouring regional parties, to grab their space for itself. Maharashtra, AP, Odisha, Telangana, Bengal, Jharkhand - the same game plan is in play. Only a united Opposition can stop this,” Alva tweeted on Nitish Kumar breaking away from the NDA alliance in the state.
ALSO READ | RJD-JD(U) realignment: It began cooking after Nitish’s attendance at Tejashwi’s iftaar feast
Last week, after losing the vice-presidential polls to Jagdeeep Dhankhar, she had hit out at Opposition parties who supported the BJP in the election "directly or indirectly" and said it was an attempt to "derail" the idea of a united opposition.
“This election was an opportunity for the opposition to work together, to leave the past behind and build trust amongst each other. Unfortunately, some opposition parties chose to directly or indirectly support the BJP, in an attempt to derail the idea of a united opposition. It is my belief that by doing so, these parties and their leaders have damaged their own credibility,” she said in a series of tweets.
Meanwhile, chief minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot said the crisis in Bihar was "bound to happen". He said the RJD and the BJP made an alliance just for the sake of power. “They (BJP) had dictatorial behaviour - be it in Goa, MP, or Maharashtra,” Gehlot added.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called the breaking of the NDA in Bihar "a good start" and said, “I think soon political parties and people in different states will stand against BJP.”
Nitish Kumar is set to take oath as the chief minister of Bihar for the eighth time on Wednesday.
