A day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar claimed that he “made Lalu Yadav”, Mr Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal struck back — with vigour. While Mr Yadav’s son Tejashwi Yadav said he made Mr Kumar Chief Minister “twice”, senior RJD leader Manoj Jha slammed him saying, “You were called Lalu’s man”.
Tejashwi Yadav claimed that he was instrumental in making Mr Kumar Chief Minister twice and saving his party.
“Yesterday, Nitish Kumar said in the Assembly that he made Lalu Yadav the Chief Minister. Forget about what Nitish Kumar says…But Nitish Kumar should remember that even before him, my father had already been elected as an MLA twice and once as an MP. Forget about Lalu Yadav, Lalu Ji has made many Prime Ministers. It was me who made him (Nitish Kumar) CM twice and saved his party,” he said at a rally in Patna.
The RJD had emerged as a single largest party with 80 seats in 2015 when the Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance was formed. Nitish Kumar’s JD (U) had won 71, but the RJD had allowed Mr Kumar to retain the top post despite the lower score.
In 2022, more than four years after ditching the Mahagathbandhan, Mr Kumar broke his partnership with the BJP for the second time, fearing that his party would be split if he continued the alliance. He returned to the fold of Mahagathbandhan, and again was allowed to retain the top post. The alliance lasted for over a year and in January 2024, Mr Kumar was back with the BJP again. Both times, Tejashwi Yadav had been his deputy.
“I am worried about Nitish Kumar now,” Manoj Jha said. “It is so unfortunate that he is speaking in such a language. You were in Lalu ji’s team, you were called Lalu ji’s man”.
“Yesterday, Tejaswi Yadav, without any bitterness, gave a historical analysis, contemporary challenges and an outline of the future; he explained everything on the basis of logic…You (Nitish Kumar) did not answer it… You are the creator of the universe, you are Brahma. If such thoughts are coming to your mind these days, then I am even more worried about you,” he added.
On Tuesday, during his speech in the Bihar assembly, Mr Kumar had claimed that he played a “key role” in shaping the political career of Lalu Prasad Yadav, the two-time Chief Minister of Bihar.
“Even the people of Lalu Yadav’s caste (Yadav) had refused to make him Chief Minister, but I supported him. I made your father (Lalu Yadav) CM,” Nitish Kumar had said.
He also claimed that he played a crucial role in making Lalu Yadav the Chief Minister in 1990, amid a tussle between Lalu and Ram Sundar Das for the top spot.
The rivalry between Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar – who started their political career as student leaders in 1974 in the heat of the agitation led by Jayaprakash Narayan – has been legendary in the annals of Bihar politics.
When Janata Dal won the Bihar polls in 1990, Nitish Kumar was part of his core team. But four years down the line, he revolted against Lalu Prasad, quit the party and formed the Samata Party with George Fernandes. They have been rivals since, with the brief ceasefire during the Mahagathbandhan days.