Some Congress leaders have strongly disapproved the statement of RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav who had said that the doors of the Mahagathbandhan were shut on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and that he would not yield to any pressure in favour of JD(U) president. later on, his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav said he would install a board on their official residence, 10 Circular Road, prohibiting the entry of Nitish.
Calling these off-the-cuff remarks by lalu’s sons as childish, the Congress lawmakers said their party favoured that all secular leaders and like minded parties should come together and make a strong front against communal forces.
After senior Congress leader and AICC secretary Shakil Ahmad Khan slammed Tejashwi and asked who he was to shut door on Nitish and how the RJD declared former Deputy CM as CM face in 2020 without consulting its allies.
The statement triggered a controversy in the grand alliance and some more Congress leaders like Tauseef Alam and Sudarshan Kumar came in open supporting the entry of Nitish in the alliance if he wished to quit NDA at any stage. “Congress will welcome him,” said Alam.
The controversy brought to fore differences between Congress and RJD over the leadership issue. Tejashwi in a statement had ignored the local Congress leaders and claimed he was in touch with AICC president Rahul Gandhi.
Khan said, “We interact with RJD president lalu Prasad on political matters and not Tejashwi.” He said the former Deputy CM wanted Congress to play second fiddle to RJD which he said was not possible.
Even as AICC Bihar in-charge Shakti Sinh Gohil asked the partymen not to make public statement on party matters, BPCC acting president Kaukab Qadri said the debate was meaningless. He said, “It is up to Nitish Kumar to declare which way he wanted to move and which alliance he wished to join.” It was Gohil who had first extended an invitation to Nitish to quit NDA and return back to grand alliance which caused ripples in the political circles.
Meanwhile, on Monday former Minister and MP Monazir Hasan joined JD(U) after a gap of four years. Hasan had quit JD(U) in 2014 after the party broke alliance with the BJP and joined hands with lalu’s party. later on he joined the BJP. He said he was not feeling comfortable after quitting JD(U).
Another person whose joining the JD(U) raised many eyebrows was Dr Asma Parveen who is employed in a Government hospital.
She is a daughter of Iliyas Hussain, senior leader of RJD and its MlA from Chenari as well as lalu’s closest confident. Parveen’s decision to join a political party despite being a Government servant was ignored by the JD(U) and she claimed there was no such bar.