‘At appropriate time’: Tejashwi Yadav declines to reveal grand alliance formula

Bihar opposition leader and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday said the RJD would not make the alliance formula public and reiterated that the alliance of the opposition parties will root out the NDA from Bihar and Jharkhand, ensuring the fall of the Narendra Modi government in 2019.

It will be made available when the parties draw the fine prints and chalk out the poll strategies to take on the NDA, he said. “Please be patient, we don’t ask strategies of media houses. We will let you know at an appropriate time,” Tejashwi told reporters after meeting his father here at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS).

Tejashwi along with Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha and Vikasshil Insaan Party (VIP) leader Mukesh Sahani called on RJD chief Lalu Prasad RIMS. Lalu is serving a jail term following his conviction in fodder scam cases and is admitted to RIMS due to poor health.

“My father is not keeping well, he is not with us, he is in other city and the family members are always concerned about his health conditions,” he said.

However, the meeting holds political significance after the NDA’s seat sharing in Bihar was announced. The leaders discussed on strategies to combat the Nitish Kumar-led NDA in Bihar.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Kushwaha said they discussed on 2019 Lok Sabha polls.He said the grand alliance will romp home in Bihar and Jharkhand.

Both Kushwaha and Tejashwi said the opposition parties have joined hands to defeat the BJP and maintained that the details on seat sharing would be announced when the final picture emerges.

Tejashwi said the grand alliance will write a new chapter after the general election. He said parties were deserting the NDA and the BJP is struggling with the fissures within. “The phenomenon is clearly visible in every part of the country, be it west, south and north,” he said holding the lens on NDA partners Shiv Sena, Telugu Desam Party and Rajbhar Singh in UP.

The BJP is disintegrating the society and everyone wants to get rid of the saffron party, he said.

Tejashwi said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is least bothered about his state and more concerned about Lok Sabha seats. “We would have sent the corrupt people behind the bars first if we were in power and then think on seats to be contested, he said.

He pointed out that the JD (U) that represents two Lok Sabha seats of Bihar will contest from 17 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and the BJP that has 22 MPs from Bihar has limited itself to equal number of seats.

He said Nitish is the reason leaders from Bihar joining the grand alliance apart from being fed up of BJP’s lies.

First Published: Dec 30, 2018 09:20 IST