After 12 days of cliffhanger in the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav came forward to break the ice and had one to one meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for over 40 minutes on Tuesday. He is expected to clarify his position regarding the raids by the CBI and registration of FIR against him.
Soon after the hour-long Cabinet meeting, which ended at 7 pm, Tejashwi went to the CM chamber just opposite the Cabinet hall and then he was followed by his elder brother and Health Minister Tej Pratap and BPCC president and Education Minister Ashok Chaudhary. The two Ministers, however, came out of the chamber after 25 minutes and Tejashwi remained with the CM for another 15 minutes. Nobody else was there during their incamera meeting.
With all the RJD Ministers and party leaders and spokesmen remaining silent on the major political development, it could not be ascertained what transpired among them and beween the CM and Deputy CM when they were left alone. But the move is seen as an important step to reopen channel of communication between Nitish and RJD leaders who did not meet during the past 12 days while the functionaries of the two parties issued fiery statements which gave birth to speculations that relations between the two had soured to the extent of the break up of the 18 months old grand alliance.
Since the media had been kept at bay and was not even allowed to enter the premises of the Secretariat, the body language of the leaders could not be seen. Sources said Tejashwi took the initiative of meeting his boss in private after the Cabinet meeting.
Their meeting is also seen in the context of the statement of JD(U) secretary general KC Tyagi who had said in Delhi that nobody had asked the resignation of Tejashwi nor any deadline given to him to clarify his position. But Tyagi stated that the Deputy CM should have spoken to the CM and let him know about the CBI actions as a matter of courtsey.
Till 6 pm there had been suspense if Tejashwi or for that matter the RJD Ministers would go to the Cabinet meeting. Many of the RJD Ministers reached the 10, Circular Road residence of Rabri Devi where the entire lalu family lives to seek the guideline. later on Tejashwi’s car came out of the residence followed by the vehicles of the Ministers and it was seen that two to three Ministers were travelling in one vehicle.
The RJD leaders were hopeful that following the meeting between Nitish and Tejashwi some honourable way would be made in the larger interest of the maha gathbandhan. “Our leader (Tejashwi) at the behest of party supremo (lalu) took a great initiative to save the Mahagathbandhan. Hopefully everything will be normal,” said a senior RJD leader on condition of anonymity. After the Cabinet meeting most of the RJD Ministers again went inside lalu’s residence and were closeted with their leader.