Tejashwi is Dy CM, show of anti-BJP might

Leaders from almost every party, which are opposed to the BJP, were present at the grand oath-taking ceremony – sending out a tough message to Prime Minister Modi and his team.

The event was attended by a galaxy of opposition leaders led by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and a number of chief ministers, including Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Tarun Gogoi (Assam), Virbhadra Singh (Himachal Pradesh), as well as several party chiefs and senior leaders.

Surprisingly, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav missed the show, though his cousin Tej Pratap Singh Yadav, son-in-law of Lalu Prasad, was present.

The gala event also marked the beginning of ministerial spells for Lalu’s debutant sons –Tej Pratap and Tejashwi Yadav. When Tejashwi was called for taking oath just after Nitish Kumar’s swearing-in, it became clear that Lalu will be a crucial player in the Nitish government through his younger son, who was designated as deputy CM and given charge of key ministries – PWD, Housing Development and Backward and Most Backward Welfare. Lalu’s elder son Tej Pratap, also a school dropout, has been given three key ministries – Health, Environment and Forest and Minor Irrigation.

Lalu’s move to elevate his sons has been criticised by political experts. According to columnist Arvind Mohan, “Lalu, who corrected his image after forging alliance with Nitish, has degraded his own stature. He could have given his sons an opportunity to learn the basics of politics while being at a junior level in the Cabinet.”

Explaining the rationale behind the move, Mohan said: “He might have taken this decision as when he was in crisis, no leader of the party was on his side. Even Abdul Bari Siddiqui, the most trusted man of Lalu, had conspired against him when the RJD chief was sent to jail.”

The 29 ministers of Nitish’s new Cabinet largely belong to either backward section or Dalit community, while only four ministers are from upper castes. JD(U) and RJD have 12 ministers each and four ministers are from Congress, which include party’s state chief Ashok Choudhari, who is new Revenue and Land Reforms Minister. Surprisingly, Nitish Kumar’s close confidant Shyam Rajak has been kept out. Sources said that Nitish dropped Rajak’s name at Lalu’s behest.

Nitish Kumar has kept the portfolios of Home, Administration, Vigilance, Information & Publicity, while RJD’s Siddiqui has been given the charge of Finance Ministry.