Modi unites Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar in Bihar
23 May 2014 11:41 PM GMT
History has a way of coming full circle as Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar, arch rivals in Bihar for decades, will be on the same side now. After rout in the Lok Sabha polls, it’s the Narendra Modi factor that has ‘forced’ both the former CMs of the state to join hands.
The announcement of ‘unconditional support’ by Yadav’s RJD to Jitan Ram Manjhi government also signifies that the house of JD(U) is not in order. The chances of cross-voting is rather imminent during the floor test on Friday. While announcing his party’s ‘support’ to the JD(U) government, Lalu Prasad said: ‘We have been supporting the Congress at the Centre for a long time to check communal forces. Similarly, our support to the Jitan Ram Manhji government in Bihar is also to check the BJP and foil its design to capture power in the state. It is an unconditional support, but we will keep monitoring the working of the government.’
Both followers of Lohiaite politics, Lalu and Nitish parted ways in the early 1990s. State BJP leaders have accused the JD (U) of colluding with the RJD to ‘stop the Narendra Modi wave’. Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, a BJP ally, has also lambasted Nitish Kumar for taking support of Lalu Yadav to prop up the JD (U)-led government in the state. The RJD has 21 members in the Bihar assembly whose effective strength at present is 237. JD(U) has 117 members including the speaker and the BJP has 88 legislators in the house, including the four newly elected MPs, who are yet to resign from their assembly seats.
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