Every single time. Union Minister accuses Nitish Kumar of ‘blackmail Lalu’ tactic
Amid the growing speculation of Nitish Kumar once again switching sides ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Sunday took at jibe at Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan and said that JDU chief keeps scaring its current ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) by singing “main maayke chali jaungi tum dekhte rahiyo”.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Giriraj Singh said, “Nitish Kumar scares Lalu Prasad time and again by hinting to go with the BJP. He (Nitish) sings a song ‘main maayke chali jaungi tum dekhte rahiyo’. But he never tells them that the doors of ‘maayke’ (BJP) are now closed for him”.
It all started with a series of tweets shared by Lalu Prasad’s Singapore-based daughter, Rohini Acharya, which many thought was aimed at Nitish Kumar’s remarks against dynastic politics at a JD(U) rally commemorating former state chief minister and socialist icon Karpoori Thakur’s birth anniversary. However, the tweets were deleted by Rohini within an hour.
The rift between the two main allies of ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Bihar created a furore in political circles with many speculating Nitish Kumar’s possible return to the NDA fold ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
JD(U), RJD IN HUDDLE
Sources told India Today that INDIA bloc’s key leader Nitish Kumar is likely to change camp again and contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Leaders of both JD(U) and RJD have started holding separate meetings to assess the situation and political arithmetic. Senior JDU leaders, including Lalan Singh, Vijay Kumar Choudhary and others are holding a meeting with Nitish Kumar at his residence in Patna.
There are indications that Nitish Kumar might consider dissolving the Bihar assembly before Lalu Prasad manages to secure the magic number.
Even leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have assembled at Lalu Prasad’s wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi’s official residence. Prasad’s younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, elder son Tej Pratap Yadav and other party legislators are discussing the current political scenario.
BJP ON JD(U), RJD RIFT
Even the Opposition BJP in Bihar is keeping a close eye on the political developments with party’s state unit chief Samrat Choudhary, along with Union Minister Ashwini Choubey, departing for Delhi to meet senior leadership.
Sources have even said that BJP will not accept Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister again, if the JD(U) sides with the NDA. A compromise could be possible only if Nitish Kumar resigns as Chief Minister and gives the post to the BJP.