Tejashwi kicks off Bihar poll campaign says ‘tired’ Nitish ‘saving’ his job

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said the Nitish Kumar-led government had failed miserably to create jobs and the state needed fresh thinking to grow, while speaking at an event in Patna to flag off RJD’s ‘Berojgari Hatao Yatra’ (unemployment roadshow) on Sunday.

Tejashwi threw Nitish a challenge at the Bihar Veterinary College ground- starting point for the two-month-long road campaign.

“Nitish ‘ji’ has become tired. Either he (Kumar) offers jobs to 2 crore youth or supports our campaign,” said Tejashwi, who is being projected as RJD’s CM-face for the state assembly polls later this year. RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav was also present on the dais.

Many senior leaders, including former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, state party chief Jagadanand Singh, former state president Ram Chandra Purbe and several MLAs were also present.

Beginning his speech in Bhojpuri, Tejashwi claimed the current unemployment situation was the worst during the past 45 years.

“The National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) data categorically states that joblessness is growing at 11.47%. While we are struggling to provide work to youth, Nitish Kumar is striving to save his job,” said the opposition leader.

He also sought an apology for the “mistakes” committed during RJD’s 15-year tenure, described as ‘jungle raj’ by critics.

“I am confident that the people would forgive us for whatever mistakes that the party had committed in its previous tenure,” said Tejashwi, while assuring the mostly youthful crowd of “85% of posts” even if it required invoking the domicile policy.

BJP in-charge of Bihar, Bhupendra Yadav, however, took a dig and said he (Tejashwi) was under the reserved category and looking for a job for himself.

“People of Bihar are growing everywhere. Jobs have shot up in Bihar,” said the BJP leader.

JD(U) leader and minister Niraj Kumar said RJD leaders would have to go to jail for the alleged “fraud” committed in purchase of the luxury bus, which Tejashwi was using as his vehicle in the Yatra.

“The RJD leaders have embarked on cash collection drive. The Congress has understood the RJD’s design and hence kept itself aloof,” said the minister.

While the Grand Alliance (GA) constituent Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) decided to participate in the RJD’s programme, the Congress only offered its moral support to the trip, which would cover all 38 districts in the next two months. RLSP has said that it would support the RJD’s programme if the party asked for it.