After a week-long high political drama, two JD(U) candidates finally won the Rajya Sabha bypoll defeating the two Independent candidates with thin margin. The Independent candidates charged RJD chief lalu Prasad Yadav with betrayal for their defeat.
Out of the total 230 votes cast in 243 strength of the State Assembly, JD(U) candidate Pawan Verma got 122 votes while Independent candidate Anil Sharma received 108 votes. Whereas, another JD(U) candidate Ghulam Rasool Baliyawi bagged 123 votes defeating Independent candidate Shabir Ali who got 107 votes.
Altogether 21 MlAs from JD(U) and alliance parties did cross-voting whereas there was no cross-voting from the BJP and from the rebel flock of JD(U).
“Out of the 122 votes that the JD(U) candidates got, 21 was from RJD, four from Congress and one from CPI. So, one can well imagine the kind of support the Ruling Party has in its fold. The JD(U) Government has in fact become a minority Government,” charged Independent candidate Shabir Ali.
However, both the Independent candidates who lost the bypoll emphatically alleged RJD chief lalu Prasad Yadav of betrayal and making surprising turnaround at the last moment.
Twenty-hours ago of the poll, RJD chief lalu Prasad had despite strong reservations by some of his party leaders, declared support to JD(U) candidates for which Nitish Kumar had earlier dialed to him.
“It’s a defeat of lalu Prasadji as he had earlier promised us support but, made a U-turn at the last moment. Only he can tell what sort of deal he had struck with Nitish Kumar,” alleged Shabir Ali.
Independent candidate Anil Sharma too said that on lalu’s promise to support us we remained in the race but he did not keep his promise and we lost the poll with a very thin margin. "Its defeat of lalu Prasad and Nitish kumar…see how much votes we’ve received despite him being in the power", Anil Sharma said.
JD(U) rebel leader Gyanendra Singh Gyanu too attacked RJD president lalu Prasad for betraying them after promising his party’s support earlier. "It was lalu Prasad Yadav who had fielded Shabir Ali and promised us his party’s support till the end. He kept telephoning me a number of times extending his support but he betrayed us at the last moment", charged Gyanendra Singh Gyanu.
Gyanu once known for his close proximity with former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also attacked Nitish kumar for surrendering before lalu Prasad on a very small issue of contesting RS poll for two seats.
"Since the last 20 years he has been attacking lalu, calling his regime as jungle raj but on the issue of just two seats he surrendered before him…people of the State are watching all this immoral and unethical alliance and we’ll keep fighting against this", said rebel JD(U) MlA from Barh Assembly Constituency Gyanendra Singh Gyanu.
Meanwhile, some JD(U) workers staged protest before the residence of Gyanu and another JD(U) rebel MlA Poonam Devi. The protestors burnt effigies and shouted slogans against both the MlAs.
"See how low Nitish Kumar has stoopedIJ... they have sent some party workers to stage protest at my residence where my family lives...I’ve requested the Patna SSP to look into it", he said.
The former senior JD(U) leader and Rajya Sabha member Shivanand Tiwari has said that now after winning the RS by-poll the Chhote Bhai (Nitish Kumar) should go to his Bade Bhai (lalu Prasad) and thank him while touching his feet.
"Chhote bhai to ab Bade bhai ka charan sparsh karke dhanyabad karna chahiye", quipped Shivanand Tiwari was recently suspended from the JD(U). "It was lalu Prasad Yadav who ultimately protected Nitish Kumar and JD(U)’s prestige as the number of votes cast to JD(U) candidates has reflected this", said a rebel candidate.
Earlier, when the MlAs were in queue to cast their vote inside the State Assembly premises a verbal duel between the BJP MlA Bhagirathi Devi and JD(U) MlA Manju Devi which invited attention one and all. Both the MlAs were apparently accusing each other’s party for the State’s pathetic situation.
The RS by-poll was necessitated by the election of lJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, BJP general secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy and former RJD general secretary Ram Kripal Yadav to the lok Sabha. JD(U) president Sharad Yadav had earlier elected unopposed on the seats vacated by Ram Vilas Paswan but for two remaining seats election took place between the JD(U) and Independent candidates.