PATNA: Leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Tuesday took a jibe at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's 'Mahila Samvad Yatra' beginning December 15 and alleged that huge public money was being spurged for the purpose. Talking to media persons on the sidelines of his workers' interaction meet held in Munger, Tejashwi said that a budgetary allocation of Rs 250 crore has been made for the CM's 'Mahila Samvad Yatra'.
"Public money is being splurged. Bureaucracy seems to have given a free hand for indulging in loot. This is against the interest of the people of the state," he said, adding that the demand for a special status to Bihar has been put to the back burner.
The former Deputy Chief Minister also lambasted the JD(U) supremo for his failure to protect the laws providing enhanced quotas for the deprived castes, despite his party being a part of the ruling coalition at the centre and in the state. In response to a media query, Tejashwi reiterated that 200 units of electricity would be given free of cost to consumers across the state if the grand alliance of which RJD is a part, was voted to power in the 2025 assembly elections.
He revealed that RJD was drawing a roadmap to be shared with the people ahead of assembly polls. "People of the state are reeling under exorbitant power tariff and erratic billing by smart prepaid metres which deserve to be called 'smart cheaters'," Tejashwi asserted.
The former DyCM said that his party intended to set things right and bring relief to the consumers by providing 200 units of free electricity. "We are committed to doing so after coming to power but even if we will put pressure on the government," he added.
Launching a front attack on Nitish, the RJD leader said that Nitish Kumar has ceased to be what he was and become a 'mukhauta' (mask) for a coertie which was pulling the strings in the state. Reacting to the outcome of bypolls on four seats, Tejashwi said that the outcome of by-election should not be viewed as an indication of people's opinion about assembly polls.
"Bypolls and assembly elections are two different aspects," he added. The victory of the ruling NDA in all four assembly seats in by-election has made RJD lose the status of the state's single largest party in the state assembly.