Nitish Kumar attacks Lalu, says it was a 'mistake' to have briefly allied with RJD

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday (October 24) said it was an error to join hands with Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), albeit briefly, and that the state was making steady progress with the generous support of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. He urged people to vote for the state's ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Assembly elections.

The JD(U) president made the remark at a rally in Samastipur district in central Bihar, from where the Prime Minister launched his campaign for the high-stakes elections in November.

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Nitish targets Lalu over misgovernance

Nitish made a veiled dig at RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, accusing the former chief minister of misgovernance and “making his wife the chief minister when he had to step down”.

“The previous government in Bihar never did anything for the development of the people of the state... When he (Lalu Prasad Yadav) had to be removed from power, he made his wife the Chief Minister... They worked for their own family... We will always stay with the NDA,” Nitish said.

The JD(U) supremo was referring to Lalu Prasad’s resignation as the chief minister in 1997, following a CBI charge sheet in the fodder scam cases, and the subsequent elevation of his wife Rabri Devi to the post.

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RJD's family politics

“He (Lalu Prasad) has not mended his ways. After having propped up his wife, he is now busy backing sons and daughters,” Nitish added.

The remark was aimed at Tejashwi Yadav, the Opposition Grand Alliance’s chief ministerial candidate, and Misa Bharti, the RJD MP from Pataliputra.

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“I had brief alliances with his party, only to realise that it was a mistake and that I was better off in the coalition I have been a part of since the beginning,” said the JD(U) president, who has been an NDA ally for most of his political career since the 1990s.

Nitish contested the 2015 Assembly elections in Bihar in a tie-up with Lalu and the duo defeated the BJP. However, much water has flown through the Ganges in Patna since then with the JD(U) switching sides a number of times and still survived as the chief minister.

(With agency inputs)