Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has triggered a huge controversy with his comments on dynasty politics ahead of this year’s Lok Sabha polls. There are speculations that the JDU leader will join the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls by ditching the INDIA front. What has also seemingly contributed to fissures between the JDU and the RJD are now deleted tweets of Rohini Acharya, Lalu Yadav’s daughter.
Addressing a public rally organised to mark the birth anniversary of former Bihar chief minister, Karpoori Thakur, Kumar attacked politicians for promoting dynasty politics. This, many felt, was an indirect attack on the RJD, the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Shiv Sena. All these parties are members of the INDIA front.
Kumar said, “Karpoori never promoted his family. It was only after his death, we pressured his son Ramnath to join politics. He is now Rajya Sabha MP and we respect him very much. Lekin aajkal to log parivar karte rahte hai… aaj log bahut parivar ko badhate rahte hai (these days, people keep promoting their family members in politics). But like Karpoori, I have not promoted my family in politics.”
Lalu’s daughter Rohini took to Twitter to write, “What’s the point of this anger (on dynasty politics) when you could not produce any suitable successor?”
A BJP leader from Bihar shared the screenshot of Rohini’s tweets and demanded an apology from the RJD for calling Nitish Kumar ‘badtamez.’
This has given rise to speculations that Kumar may ditch the INDIA front and return to the BJP fold once again. Though JDU leader KC Tyagi has refuted rumours of JDU joining the BJP-led alliance, it’s expected that Nitish Kumar will share stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 February when the latter attends a rally in Bettiah.
Lalu Yadav’s two sons, Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, are currently ministers in the Bihar government headed by Nitish Kumar.