'Gale Lagayenge': RJD National Vice-President Says On Talks Of Nitish Kumar Leaving BJP-Led NDA

Political rift has started to become visible between JD(U) and BJP of the ruling NDA alliance in Bihar after Nitish Kumar called a party meeting of MLAs and MPs on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI. 

New Delhi: Amid reports of a political turmoil brewing in Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Monday said that it will “embrace” Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) if it broke ranks with the Bharatiya Janata Party, reported news agency PTI. RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tiwary said that convening meetings of legislators by both parties on Tuesday were a clear indication that the situation was extraordinary.

“Personally, I am not aware of the goings on. But we cannot ignore the fact that both parties, which together had sufficient numbers to muster a majority, have convened such meetings when an assembly session is not round the corner,” said Tiwary quoted by the news agency. 

Political rift has started to become visible between JD(U) and BJP of the ruling NDA alliance in Bihar after Nitish Kumar called a party meeting of MLAs and MPs on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI. 

“Bihar CM Nitish Kumar calls a meeting of JD(U) MLAs and MPs tomorrow to discuss the scenario that has emerged following former national president RCP Singh's exit,” says party chief Rajiv Ranjan Singh, quoted by the news agency.

“If Nitish chooses to dump NDA, what choice do we have except to embrace him (‘gale lagayenge’). RJD is committed to fighting the BJP. If the chief minister decides to join this fight, we will have to take him along,” he said further. 

On being asked whether the party is ready to forget bitter episodes it had with JD(U), Tiwari said, “In politics, we cannot remain prisoners of the past. We socialists had started off opposing the Congress which was then in power. But, even the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi was imposed invoking the Constitution.”

“The BJP, which has now become a behemoth, seems out to destroy the Constitution. We have to respond to the challenges of the times,” he added.

Nitish Kumar in 2017, had broken the alliance with the RJD and returned to NDA citing corruption allegations of corruption against Lalu Prasad and his family members, including younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, who was then his deputy.

The tension surfaced between the two allies after former Union minister and JD(U) head for the last one-and-a-half years, RCP Singh — who quit Indian Administrative Service (IAS) 12 years ago to join the party — tendered his resignation. 

Speculations of parting ways were amplified when Nitish Kumar skipped the meeting of NITI Aayog governing council chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.