Chief Minister Nitish Kumar praised the Modi government for honouring Karpoori Thakur and launched a scathing attack on the dynastic politics of Lalu Yadav’s family without explicitly naming them.
Tag: Rashtriya Janata Dal
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Will Nitish Kumar Join NDA Again? Late Evening Meeting Between Bihar CM, Lalu-Tejashwi Fuels Speculation |
With the Lok Sabha elections approaching closer, speculations of a rift between Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and RJD leaders Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav have again taken centre stage. While Lau-Tejashwi met Kumar at his residence yesterday, a JD(U) minister claimed that the doors of NDA are still open. On the other hand, a meeting was held at BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha’s residence as well.
It’s being claimed that Nitish Kumar, who was upset after the RJD did not back him for the INDIA Bloc’s convenor post, is now not ready to cede space for the RJD to contest more seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The seat-sharing issue is the latest bone of contention between the JDU and the RJD. There is widespread speculation that the JD(U), having secured 16 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as part of the NDA alliance, may be unwilling to accept a reduced seat count in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, the RJD, despite not winning any seats previously, is expected to assert its claim for a substantial share, emphasizing its larger numerical representation in the assembly.
RJD president Lalu Prasad, accompanied by his son Tejashwi Yadav, the Deputy CM, called on ally Nitish Kumar at his residence. After the meeting, Tejashwi Yadav said that there is no rift between the parties and both parties will contest a respectable number of seats.
“I feel sorry when you people ask questions that seem so divorced from ground reality. Why is there so much curiosity about when seat-sharing was likely to be final in Mahagathbandhan? Has the BJP-led NDA sorted it out in its own camp? Nobody cares about that,” said Yadav.
Yadav was also asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s interview with a Hindi daily in which his response to a query on Kumar, who dumped the BJP less than two years ago, was being interpreted as an admission of doors not being shut on the JD(U) boss. Shah said that if a proposal comes, then the BJP will think about that. Now, Bihar’s Building and Construction Minister Ashok Chaudhary claimed Shah has never said that the doors of the NDA are closed for JD(U). “Amit Shah never said that NDA’s doors for the JD(U) are closed. He always said that if JD(U) sends a proposal on it, then he would consider it. We have not given any proposal to the BJP,” Chaudhary said.
Meanwhile, the JDU’s X handle has posted a video in which Tejashwi Yadav has almost disappered. In the 1.29 minutes long video that claims Bihar’s overall development under Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi was seen only once for a few seconds.
सबकी मददगार… नीतीश सरकार।
बिहार में हर वर्ग और हर तबके के लोगों का हो रहा उत्थान।#JDU #bihar #Nitishkumar #NitishModel pic.twitter.com/odmfEj6NMt
— Janata Dal (United) (@Jduonline) January 20, 2024However, it is being said that Kumar wants the BJP to make a move first. In August 2022, Kumar, a former ally of the BJP, terminated the alliance, accusing the saffron party of attempting to divide the JD(U) and expressing determination to defeat the NDA in 2024 by uniting the entire opposition. He played a pivotal role in forming the INDIA bloc and hosted its inaugural meeting in Patna, where leaders opposed to the BJP came together, setting aside past differences.
Kumar recently got appointed as the JD(U) president succeeding his close aide Rajiv Ranjan Singh “Lalan,” who was rumored to have developed close ties with the RJD camp. Despite being the longest-serving Chief Minister of the state, Kumar had, a few months ago, criticized the Congress for losing focus on INDIA due to its preoccupation with assembly polls in select states.
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RJD claims reservation within party structure is implemented
Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Days after the patch-up with Janata Dal (United), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) claimed on Sunday to have become the first party in the country to implement ‘reservation’ in its organizational structure. This has been done at a time almost national and regional parties, especially in Bihar BJP included, are working on this equation to create a strong vote-bank on the basis of social engineering ahead of the 2024 LS and the 2025 assembly elections.
This reservation roster in the organisational elections of RJD will continue in effect further with an aim to make what RJD chief calls-‘samata-mulak samaj’.(egalitarian society).
Sharing details with this newspaper here, Chittaranjan Gagan- assistant national chief electoral officer of RJD, said that reservation has been implemented in the party for organisational structure with the purpose of giving special representation to the most backward and scheduled castes and tribes in the organizational structure.
“A provision has been made for special reservation for these classes in the constitution of RJD. According to the constitutional provisions of the party, 28 per cent of posts of party office bearers at the block and district levels including the party district presidents have been reserved for the most backward classes and 17 per cent for the scheduled castes and tribes now”, he claimed.
He further elaborated that the same roster of reservations has been implemented in the organizational election year 2022-2025, which was earlier implemented in the organizational election year 2019-2022.
The category, for which the posts of block president and district president were reserved in the last organizational year, would continue same for the same category in this organizational year also. “There has been no change in the previous roster”, he said.
At present, the RJD has around 50 organizational district units in Bihar. “Among these units, 17 district units, the party president post has been reserved for the most backward classes whereas in 7 district units, the president’s post has been reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Sharing details, he said that Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Darbhanga,Samastipur, Begusarai , Supaul, Saharsa, Purnia, Purnia , Munger, Bhagalpur , Banka, Biharsharif , Jehanabad and Patna Mahanagar(metropolis) have been reserved for the most backward, whereas Navgachia, Arwal, Kaimur, Nalanda, Araria, Siwan and Bagaha have been reserved for SC and ST.
“Along with this, provision has been made for co-opted members to ensure proper representation of special interests in the organization. Under which, out of the total co-opted members at various levels, except the initial unit, the participation of minimum of 25 per cent women, 25 per cent minorities, 30 per cent scheduled castes/tribes and the remaining 20 per cent of those sections which have not got representation will be ensured”, he added. In the primary unit, one member of the SC/ST will be represented as a ‘sahvarit’ (co-opted) member.
NEW DELHI: Days after the patch-up with Janata Dal (United), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) claimed on Sunday to have become the first party in the country to implement ‘reservation’ in its organizational structure. This has been done at a time almost national and regional parties, especially in Bihar BJP included, are working on this equation to create a strong vote-bank on the basis of social engineering ahead of the 2024 LS and the 2025 assembly elections.
This reservation roster in the organisational elections of RJD will continue in effect further with an aim to make what RJD chief calls-‘samata-mulak samaj’.(egalitarian society).
Sharing details with this newspaper here, Chittaranjan Gagan- assistant national chief electoral officer of RJD, said that reservation has been implemented in the party for organisational structure with the purpose of giving special representation to the most backward and scheduled castes and tribes in the organizational structure.
“A provision has been made for special reservation for these classes in the constitution of RJD. According to the constitutional provisions of the party, 28 per cent of posts of party office bearers at the block and district levels including the party district presidents have been reserved for the most backward classes and 17 per cent for the scheduled castes and tribes now”, he claimed.
He further elaborated that the same roster of reservations has been implemented in the organizational election year 2022-2025, which was earlier implemented in the organizational election year 2019-2022.
The category, for which the posts of block president and district president were reserved in the last organizational year, would continue same for the same category in this organizational year also. “There has been no change in the previous roster”, he said.
At present, the RJD has around 50 organizational district units in Bihar. “Among these units, 17 district units, the party president post has been reserved for the most backward classes whereas in 7 district units, the president’s post has been reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Sharing details, he said that Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Darbhanga,Samastipur, Begusarai , Supaul, Saharsa, Purnia, Purnia , Munger, Bhagalpur , Banka, Biharsharif , Jehanabad and Patna Mahanagar(metropolis) have been reserved for the most backward, whereas Navgachia, Arwal, Kaimur, Nalanda, Araria, Siwan and Bagaha have been reserved for SC and ST.
“Along with this, provision has been made for co-opted members to ensure proper representation of special interests in the organization. Under which, out of the total co-opted members at various levels, except the initial unit, the participation of minimum of 25 per cent women, 25 per cent minorities, 30 per cent scheduled castes/tribes and the remaining 20 per cent of those sections which have not got representation will be ensured”, he added. In the primary unit, one member of the SC/ST will be represented as a ‘sahvarit’ (co-opted) member.
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Fodder scam: CBI court convicts Lalu in Rs 139 crore Doranda treasury case
By PTI
RANCHI: A special CBI court on Tuesday convicted Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad in the Rs 139.5 crore Doranda treasury embezzlement case.
The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on February 18, a CBI counsel said.
The court had on January 29 completed hearing arguments in the case and reserved its verdict.
Prasad had earlier been sentenced to 14 years in jail in four other fodder scam cases.
“Lalu Prasad has been convicted. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on February 18,” the CBI counsel said.
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Amid ‘trouble’ in Bihar grand alliance, Sonia Gandhi speaks to Lalu Prasad Yadav
By ANI
NEW DELHI: Amid trouble in the grand alliance of the opposition in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said he had a telephonic conversation with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday.
However, the details of the discussion are still unknown.
The telephonic conversation comes after Congress and RJD broke off the alliance ahead of the by-polls in Kusheshwar Asthan (SC) and Tarapur constituencies in Bihar scheduled on October 30.
Earlier, breaking the alliance with Congress in Bihar, Lalu Yadav had said that RJD’s candidates would lose their deposit in the elections if they remain in alliance with the Congress in the state ahead of the by-polls in two assembly constituencies.
However, on Tuesday, the RJD chief called upon Congress to become a ‘strong alternative’ to the BJP at the national level politics and said that his party has always supported Congress in every situation.
The RJD and the Congress had contested the 2020 Bihar polls as coalition partners. The alliance fell short of 10 seats from the majority mark in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, with RJD emerging as the single-largest party with 75 seats. Congress could only manage to win 19 of the 70 seats it had contested on.
The ruling coalition, NDA secured a majority with 125-seats in the 243-seat strong Bihar Legislative Assembly of which BJP won 74 seats, Janata Dal (United) on 43 while eight seats were won by two other NDA constituents.
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Congress should be ‘strong alternative’ to BJP in national politics: Lalu Yadav
By ANI
PATNA: Ahead of the by-polls in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday called upon the Congress to become a ‘strong alternative’ to the BJP at the national level politics and said that his party has always supported the Congress in every situation.
Speaking to ANI, Yadav said, “I agree that my alliance is with the Congress on a national level. But at the state level, the situation is different. At the national level, we want a strong alternative to the BJP and therefore I have always supported Congress in every situation.”
“Prime role should be that of Congress. Has anyone helped Congress more than us? It is an old party, an all-India party, we still consider them so,” the RJD supremo said.
“Alliance is formed with like-minded people, secular forces. At the state level also, we formed an alliance with Congress, the Left and other parties…Let people say whatever they want to,” he said.
Earlier, the veteran leader had said that RJD’s candidates would lose their deposit in the elections if they remain in alliance with the Congress in the state ahead of the by-polls in two assembly constituencies.
RJD supremo further slammed the Centre over the inflation and said, “Fuel prices are soaring, and diesel is costing more than ghee. How will people cook without kadwa tel (mustard oil)?”
Lalu Prasad Yadav returned to Bihar after over three years.
The Jharkhand high court, earlier in April, granted bail to RJD leader Lalu Prasad.
The former Bihar chief minister, who was undergoing treatment at Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences for two years, was shifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi in January.
He also has expressed confidence in his younger son Tejashwi’s leadership and lauded him for “handling the party pretty well in his absence”. The comments came amid a strained relationship being witnessed between his two sons Tej Pratap and Tejashwi over the leadership of the party.
Speaking to ANI, Yadav said that Tejashwi handled the party pretty well in his absence which was beyond his expectations and made RJD the largest party in the last Assembly polls in Bihar.
“The way Tejashwi handled the party in my absence, it was beyond my expectations. Along with my son, every party worker worked hard and made RJD the largest party in the previous Assembly election,” the RJD supremo said.
“The RJD would have been in power in the state but the present ruling NDA alliance in the state cheated to gain power,” he said.
“I know Tejashwi is campaigning in both constituencies going for by-polls and is doing really well, giving a strong fight to the NDA. I will ensure their ‘visarjan’ (immersion),” the veteran leader said.
Yadav further showed confidence in winning the Kusheshwar Asthan (SC) and Tarapur by-polls by a great margin.
The strained relationship between Tej Pratap and his younger brother Tejashwi has been evident after RJD students’ wing state president Akash Yadav, who is believed to be a close aide of Tej Pratap, was removed from his post.
Further Tej Pratap Yadav, earlier this month, had alleged that his father and veteran leader Lalu Prasad Yadav has been held “hostage” in New Delhi despite getting bail earlier this year.
Tej Pratap has also alleged that he has been stopped to meet his father Lalu Yadav.
Tej Pratap had also announced that he will announce a big step in the coming days while stating that he is no longer part of RJD.
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‘Kya hota hai gathbandhan?’ Home after three years, Lalu fires salvo at Congress
By Express News Service
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday questioned Congress’ usefulness as an ally. As expected, the former Bihar chief minister drew flak for his comment on Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das.
He wondered if his party should have left an assembly by-poll seat in the state for the national party so that it could lose even its deposit.
“Kya hota hai Congress ka gathbandhan? (What is this thing about an alliance with the Congress?),” he shot back when asked about a virtual breakup of their alliance in the by-polls to two assembly constituencies over the RJD’s refusal to concede a seat to the national party.
“Should we have given one seat (to Congress) for it to lose? So that it could lose even its deposit?” he said disdainfully.
The Congress’ poor show in the assembly polls compared to a much better strike rate of the RJD has prompted a section of the leaders of the Bihar party to question the national party’s role in the alliance.
Lalu also mocked Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das, the party’s in-charge for Bihar who had been targeting the RJD.
Das had recently said the Congress was no longer part of the RJD-led alliance in the state and even alleged that the RJD had an understanding with the BJP behind the scene.
“Does he (Das) know anything?” Lalu asked.Lalu’s comments on Das drew strong condemnation from a close aide of Nitish who called the RJD supremo “anti-Dalit.” Ashok Choudhary, a powerful member of the Nitish Kumar-led NDA Cabinet, deplored the RJD leader’s use of a Bihari slang to berate Das, a Dalit, while replying to questions from journalists in the national capital.
Choudhary said: “The RJD has always been anti-Dalit. This has been reflected in the type of language Lalu has used against Bhakt Charan Das. Recently, Tejashwi Yadav skipped a function which was addressed by no less a person than President Ram Nath Kovind. That, too, was indicative of the party’s disregard for Dalit.”
Yadav’s comments came before he was scheduled to leave for Bihar where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) is in a direct contest with the RJD to retain the two seats where the bypolls have been necessitated due to the death of their incumbent MLAs.
Yadav has been receiving treatment in the national capital after he was relieved from the AIIMS, and will be landing in Bihar after a long interval during which his son Tejashwi Yadav has led the party for all practical purposes and steered it creditably in the assembly polls.
The former Bihar chief minister said a decision on whether he will campaign for the RJD in the bypolls, scheduled for October 30, will be taken after consultation with doctors.
The RJD’s decision to field its candidate from Kusheshwar Asthan, a seat from where the Congress had contested in the 2020 assembly polls, has rankled the Congress.
The Congress’ poor show in the assembly polls compared to a much better strike rate of the RJD has prompted a section of the leaders of the Bihar party to question the national party’s role in the alliance.
The RJD believes that the Congress had been given more number of seats than its real strength in the state.
(With PTI Inputs)
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BJP has tasted blood, got power by pitting Hindus against Muslims: Lalu Prasad Yadav
By PTI
PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad on Tuesday launched a vitriolic attack on the BJP, which he accused of pitting Hindus against Muslims (Ram aur Rahim ke bande), and likened it to a beast that has “tasted blood”.
Addressing party workers here through video conferencing, Prasad, who has been in Delhi since his release from jail a few months ago, also expressed “strong condemnation” for the incidents in Lakhimpur Kheri district of BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, where a car allegedly belonging to son of a Union minister ploughed into a crowd of agitating farmers.
The former Union minister, who had been an MP for many terms before getting barred from contesting elections in 2013, also lamented the lack of unity in the opposition and asserted that the BJP could be defeated if all parties opposed to it could keep their flock together.
Prasad, who had to step down as the Bihar chief minister in 1997 because of the charge-sheet filed against him the fodder scam, also predicted an “early fall” of the Nitish Kumar government, which returned to power in the assembly elections last year.
The outspoken OBC leader, a mascot of pro-Mandal politics, also expressed outrage over the Centre submitting before the Supreme Court that it would not be able to enumerate the numerically powerful social group despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi having hinted otherwise during a meeting with an all-party delegation from Bihar, headed by Kumar and including Prasad’s son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav.
He claimed that the BJP has looked down upon affirmative action and declared, “We will fight and see to it that caste census is undertaken and policies are formulated taking population of different castes into account”.
The septuagenarian also appeared to place a lid on the controversy triggered by the declamation of his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav that the RJD supremo was being “held captive in Delhi and prevented from visiting Bihar”, remarks which were seen as the mercurial leader’s outbursts aimed at his younger, but more powerful, sibling Tejashwi.
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Is RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav being held hostage? ‘Yes’, alleges son Tej Pratap
By ANI
PATNA/NEW DELHI: Has RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav being held hostage? Yes, this has been alleged by none other than Lalu’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav.
Tej Pratap Yadav on Saturday levelled this startling allegation while speaking at a workshop, organised by his newly formed the “Chhatra Janshakti Parishad” in Patna for promoting leadership qualities amongst the youths.
As National President of Chhatra Janshakti Parishad, Tej Pratap Yadav on the record alleged that his father Lalu Prasad Yadav has been confined to Delhi by some 4-5 people, who dream of becoming the national president of RJD.
The former health minister further alleged that everyone knows who are those 4-5 people, who have confined his father confined to Delhi. “Everyone knows who those people are, there is no use in taking names. It has been a long time since my father Lalu Yadav came out of jail. But my father has been kept confined in Delhi,” he bluntly alleged.
He said that he had talked to his father asking him to come and live with him in Patna together. “When my father used to be here (Patna), the doors were kept open and he used to meet people in the outhouse. Now, some people have put ropes to public. Our father has been kept hostage in Delhi,” he allegedly said.
Yadav’s allegation stirred the political circle of RJD and no leader of RJD agreed to speak anything on Tej Pratap Yadav’s statement.
However, BJP spokesperson Dr Nikhil Anand has asked Tejashwi Yadav to come out with a clarification on the allegation levelled by Tej Pratap Yadav. “Actually,its a family matter of RJD , but we also want that Tejashwi Yadav should come out and clarify as how is Lalu Prasad ji and the allegation levelled by Tejpratap Yadav,” Dr Nikhil Anand said.
JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar also said that the state government can act under rules if anyone lodges a complaint.
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Lalu being held hostage in Delhi despite bail, alleges son Tej Pratap Yadav
By ANI
PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tej Pratap Yadav on Saturday alleged that his father and veteran leader Lalu Prasad Yadav has been held “hostage” in New Delhi despite getting bail earlier this year.
While speaking at an event here, Tej Pratap said: “Despite getting bail months ago, my father is still being held hostage in New Delhi.”
He further alleged that there are some people in the party who are “dreaming” of becoming the chief of RJD.
“I spoke to my father and asked him to stay with me in Patna and look after the organisation of the party. When my father used to live in Patna, the main gate of our residence used to be open and he used to meet the common people in the outhouse.”
“My father is unwell. There are 4-5 people in the party who are dreaming to become RJD’s national president. Do not need to name them as it is known to everyone. He was released nearly a year ago from jail but is still being held hostage,” he added.
The comments come in the backdrop of a strained relationship between Tej Pratap and his younger brother Tejashwi.
Earlier in August, Tejashwi had asked Tej Pratap Yadav to maintain “discipline”.
The strain between the two top leaders has been evident after RJD students’ wing state president Akash Yadav was removed from his post. Akash Yadav is believed to be a close aide of Tej Pratap Yadav.