JD (U) tries tit-for-tat taming tact with RJD

The love-hate relationship between RJD and JD(U), Bihar’s two main ruling allies, maybe heading for a decisive phase.

PATNA: The love-hate relationship between RJD and JD(U), Bihar’s two main ruling allies, maybe heading for a decisive phase. Fed up with RJD’s big-brotherly attitude and constant one-upmanship games, the JD(U) is now determined to adopt a tit-for-tat strategy towards its over-ambitious ally.

Days after forcing RJD to muzzle its loud-mouth top leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who had been openly criticising Chief Minister and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar, an upbeat JD(U) is set to execute a series of measures to keep RJD under check. JD(U)’s calculated gamble, whose first installment was executed on March 22, is fraught with risks, but leaders close to Kumar are keen on playing their cards.

RJD leaders were aghast to find the name of deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav, the younger son and heir apparent of party chief Lalu Prasad, missing from the government’s invitation cards for the inaugural function of the 105th Bihar Diwas celebrations. Even ad issued to newspapers did not carry his name.

This led to both Tejaswi and his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav’s, minister for Health and Forests, boycott of the event. Interestingly, even as RJD MLAs close to Prasad protested, they sought explanations for the “serious lapse” from Congress and the education department instead of targeting JD(U).

The ostensible reason was that the education department was the nodal agency for the celebrations and state Congress chief Ashok Chaudhary is the education minister.

The decision to give Tejaswi’s name a miss was part of a proactive strategy by JD(U) following the UP Assembly poll results, said party insiders. The “blueprint to rein in RJD” was reportedly prepared by senior JD(U) leaders including RS members RCP Singh and KC Tyagi, JD(U) state chief Vashistha Narayan Singh and minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh with Kumar’s approval.

“This (omitting Tejaswi’s name) was a direct consequence of the two Yadav brothers’ act in Mahua on March 10,” said a JD(U) leader. He was referring to how the venue of a government programme to lay foundation stones for 17 road projects, where the two Yadav brothers presided, was decorated with pictures of Lalu’s family and there was no mention of Kumar.

JD(U)’s other plans to tame RJD include countering its avowed plans to install Tejaswi as CM in the event of Kumar becoming PM candidate of a possible alliance of non-BJP parties in 2019 and demanding greater accountability from RJD ministers.