If an MLA’s extravagance is any indication, Bihar’s demand for special category status does not stand. While Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may have been seeking special status on the grounds that the state’s per capita income is the lowest in the country and that it lags in most of the socio-economic indicators, 32-year-old Congress MLA from Bahadurganj, Tausif Alam’s recent lavish wedding put a huge question mark on the claims.
The MLA, who represents one of the poorest regions of the state, hired a chopper at a cost of Rs 15 lakh to bring his newlywed bride home. This amount, however, is small change in comparison to the whole expenditure—which was estimated to be more than Rs 1 crore—he incurred for his nuptials.
Alam invited more than 50,000 people to a lavish dinner and about one lakh people to a reception hosted by him. Those who attended his wedding included Nitish, Congress legislative party leader Sadanand Singh, BJP MP Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and former Union minister Mohammad Taslimuddin. Nitish also performed his ceremonial shehrabandi.
During the wedding, many celebratory gunshots were fired. Surprisingly, the MLA’s security persons too were engaged with his supporters in firing the shots. When its visuals were flashed on different private TV channels, local police swung into action. “We have ordered a probe into the celebratory firing during the marriage,” said Kishanganj SP Manoj Kumar.
Chief spokesperson of the Congress in the state, Prem Chandra Mishra, said: “Sonia Gandhi has given clear instructions to party workers to maintain austerity in public life. The MLA might have done this in over-enthusiasm.”
“Surprisingly our Chief Minister was part of this celebration. This shahi marriage was solemnised in the poorest district of the state. This speaks volume about the priorities of the state leadership and contrast the consistent claim for special status for the state,” said RJD national spokesperson Manoj Kumar Jha.
Nitish may have made efforts to attend this marriage to derive some political dividend. It was not only a political gesture to woo minorities who are in majority in the northeastern district of the state, rather he tried to explore ties with Congress MLAs.
The Chief Minister had a half-an-hour closed-door meeting with all the four MLAs who came to attend the marriage. At present, JD(U) has 118 MLAs in the state Assembly with a total strength of 243. In case the alliance with the BJP breaks, the party may get the support of Congress MLAs to continue the government. Nitish, however, flatly denied that his visit had anything to do with politics.
When asked about the huge expenditure, Alam said the chopper was hired by his friend and most of the people that attended the wedding came from his constituency. “How can I say no to anyone?”
This MLA only three years ago in his affidavit during Assembly election had declared moveable assets worth `6.92 lakh and immovable assets worth `26.01 lakh. He is also accused in half-a-dozen serious criminal cases. It raises a question: how a lawmaker with total assets of about `33 lakh can spend more than a crore in his wedding? Alam also evaded declaring his assets on the Bihar legislative Assembly website in 2012 and 2013 due to reasons best known to him. This declaration is mandatory for all MLAs.