With RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav describing Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s decision not to himself contest the Assembly polls as an early acceptance of the ruling JD(U)-BJP alliance’s defeat, the verbal warfare between the two Bihar stalwarts has escalated to personal attacks.
While Mr Kumar, currently a member of the state Legislative Council (MLC), is keen to supervise the JD(U)’s election campaign and lead the NDA to victory in the Assembly polls without personally being tied to an electoral contest in a constituency, Mr Lalu Yadav looks ready for a personal battle of the ballot. After Mr Kumar made it clear on Wednesday that he had no plans to contest the October-November polls, Mr Yadav ridiculed his decision. “Nitish accepted defeat in advance by saying he will not contest the polls. When the commander himself is fleeing the battlefield, what will happen to their soldiers? This happened after I said I am getting the support of all sections of society. I will form a government by contesting the polls,” said Mr Yadav.
Mr Kumar, who previously paid little attention to Mr Yadav’s statements, retaliated by saying, “When the ground beneath a man’s feet starts slipping, he speaks anything and everything.”
Mr Yadav was irked by Mr Kumar’s suggestion that the Congress still maintained secret links with the RJD in Bihar and that it was evident from the seating arrangement in the Lok Sabha. “Does a party with only four MPs get the front seats in the Lok Sabha,” Mr Kumar had said in visible glee, adding: “The Congress and the RJD are hand in glove.”
Mr Yadav retorted: “Nitish Kumar has developed mental problems. Chandrashekhar used to get the front seat despite being alone in the Lok Sabha. What matters there is who the leader is. I have been a Central minister and I lead a party. Speaker Meira Kumar gave us the front seats.”
Mr Yadav accused Kumar of taking help from “tantra-mantra” and added: “I will not speak all now, but I will present his priests at the right time.” Mr Kumar shot back, saying: “It is he (Yadav) who has been extremely superstitious and had even blamed me for eating biscuits during the solar eclipse last year.”