Nitish Kumar moves closer to break-up, Tejashwi Yadav keeps RJD at arm’s length

BIHAR Chief Minister Nitish Kumar got closer to snapping his JD(U)’s ties with ally RJD amid indications that he would quit Sunday and stake claim to form a government with BJP.

RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who called a meeting of his MLAs Saturday, said they should “go to people with their achievements,” and delink the party from Nitish’s decision to break if and when it happens.

Tejashwi is learnt to have told his MLAs that it was up to Nitish to explain why he did what he did. And they should make it clear to their constituents that it was Nitish who was “deserting” the alliance — and the RJD had nothing to do with this.

Although many RJD legislators have been in favour of withdrawing support to the government, Tejashwi has been insistent that they should not do anything that sends a message to the people that it was the RJD that forced Nitish’s hand.

“We will go to the people and tell them how we were moving in the direction of keeping our promises of giving 10 lakh jobs”, Tejashwi told his MLAs.

The RJD (79), Congress (19), and three Left parties together (16) have 114 MLAs, eight short of a majority in House of 243.

The JD(U)’s 45 MLAs and the BJP’s 78, along with the support of one Independent legislator, together make up 124 MLAs.

A senior RJD leader told The Indian Express: “We will not give Nitish Kumar any excuse. He is deserting us. We are not to blame for anything. Nor are we going to stake claim to form the government. We will wait for Nitish to falter on his own”.

The JD (U), meanwhile, launched a frontal attack on RJD. JD(U)’s chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said: “RJD leadership is restless. It has been in the habit of taking land for jobs but it could not gain anything in recent appointments of our 2 lakh