Yadav said that, \"If only Tejashwi had quit immediately after the raids, he would have become a bigger leader.
Patna: In a first major sign of a rift within the RJD, a senior member of the party and five-time MLA from Gaighat constituency, Maheshwar Yadav, has come out in the open and supported Nitish Kumar’s decision to break off the alliance. Earlier, JD(U) MP Ali Anwar had registered his protest against Mr Kumar’s decision to form the government with the BJP.
“The split occurred due to Lalu Yadav’s love for his son. Nitish Kumar never back stabbed anyone, he met Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi and also gave enough hints but Lalu’s ego forced Nitish to leave the alliance and join hands with the BJP,” Maheshwar Yadav told reporters on Thursday.
Mr Maheshwar Yadav added that “a large number of MLAs wanted Tejashwi to quit, but they couldn’t muster courage to speak in front of Lalu. If only Tejashwi had resigned immediately after the raids then he would have become a bigger leader.”
Mr Kumar had resigned from his post on Wednesday claiming that corruption charges against Lalu and Tejashwi were the main reason behind his decision to leave the grand secular alliance in Bihar.
Talking to reporters in New Delhi, JD(U) MP Anwar had said, “Nitish Kumar took a decision by listening to his inner voice, but my conscience doesn’t allow me to support his decision.”
His statement was opposed by senior members in the JD(U). “Today Ali Anwar’s conscience is not allowing him to support Nitish Kumar’s decision, but he must also remember that he became Rajya Sabha MP on BJP votes,” senior JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh said.
If RJD sources are to be believed, around 16 JD(U) MLAs have opposed Mr Kumar’s move to form a government with the BJP. They hinted that top RJD leaders are trying to gain the support of five Muslims and 11 Yadav MLAs from the JD(U) on secular lines.
On Thursday, Mr Kumar joined hands with the BJP and was sworn in as the chief minister for the sixth time.
