PATNA: With tension steadily rising between Bihar’s ruling alliance parties JD(U) and RJD due to statements issued by RJD leaders targeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday tried to rein in his party’s loud-mouth leaders to save the alliance government.
Yadav summoned senior RJD leader and legislator Bhai Birendra, one of the most outspoken among RJD leaders, to his residence and reportedly asked him not to escalate the crisis by making anti-Nitish statements. RJD also removed one of its spokespersons, Ashok Sinha, from the post allegedly for his failure to defend the party effectively during a recent TV debate.
After Nitish Kumar refused to change his party’s decision to support NDA’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, a number of RJD leaders made veiled attacks on him. JD(U) leaders urged the RJD leaders to “stay within limits and observe coalition principles”.
Lalu, who himself first targeted Kumar by calling his support for Kovind a “historic blunder”, had been closely following the events. With he and his family members currently caught in a number of judicial cases and probes by the ED and IT department, Yadav decided to rein in his party leaders to allow the coalition government to continue.
“He (Lalu) asked Bhai Birendra and other leaders such as party vice president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh not to escalate the situation further. He also asked Tejaswi not to speak further on the presidential election targeting Nitish,” said a leader close to the RJD chief.