Rupauli MLA Beema Bharti
on her way to meet
Nitish Kumar in Patna
on Sunday and (right)
Belsand MLA Sunita Singh.
Pictures by Deepak Kumar

Forget the trust vote, apparent mistrust has crept in among JDU ministers and MLAs in the past couple of days.

Backward class and extremely backward class welfare department minister Beema Bharti (MLA from Rupauli, Purnea) and Sunita Singh (MLA from Belsand, Sitamarhi) alleged threat by art, culture and youth affairs minister Vinay Bihari and Chakai MLA Sumit Kumar Singh if the women did not join the Jitan Ram Manjhi camp.

Beema lodged a complaint at Sachivalya police station stating that both Vinay and Sumit visited her 32A Hardinge Road official residence on Sunday morning and threaten her with dire consequences. In the complaint, she also demanded protection to her family and said Sumit and Vinay would be considered responsible if she is 'harmed anyway'.

DSP (Sachivalaya) Mohammed Shibli Nomani confirmed that the complaint had been lodged on Beema's written statement. 'The complaint has been lodged against minister Vinay Bihari and MLA Sumit Kumar Singh,' Nomani told The Telegraph over phone.

Beema was among the 15 ministers whose dismissal has been recommended to governor by Manjhi on Saturday. 'On Sunday morning, Vinay and Sumit visited my residence and threatened and asked me to join their camp. They also tried to lure me by saying that once I join their camp, I would be made a minister of a bigger department. I told them that my only leader is Nitish Kumar and I do not want to switch my loyalties to any other leader.'

'However, they kept on threatening me and left the house with threat of dire consequence,' said Beema, who later met Nitish at his residence.

Sumit, who happens to be the son of senior leader and minister Narendra Singh, denied the allegation, saying that she was the one who called him for a talk.

Sumit alleged that the whole episode was planted by senior leader Shyam Rajak and JDU spokesperson Sanjay Singh.

'I visited her house on Sunday morning because she had called me four times at 10.30pm on Saturday. She had said that she wanted to talk to me on the current political scenario in the state. However, I told her that I would visit her house in the morning. Why would I do such things? She is like my sister. Let me tell you one important thing that Shyam Rajak and Sanjay Singh have pressured her for this,' said Sumit.

Vinay echoed the same, saying that she was a nice woman and he has very good terms with Beema. He too alleged that people of Nitish's camp has pressured her. 'She is not an ordinary woman. Everyone knows her background and no one can dare to threaten her. I visited her house on Sunday morning only after she called me four times,' he added.

'She wanted to talk to me on the current political scenario. How can I threaten her? I am an actor and singer, not a criminal, don or bahubali. I saw Shyam Rajak and other JDU leaders visiting her house. Now, it has become clear that the MLAs are being harassed on the instruction of Nitish Kumar,' said Vinay.

On the other hand, Sunita alleged that agriculture minister Narendra Singh of Manjhi's camp called her on Saturday and threatened her with dire consequences.

'Narendra called me at 7.30pm on Saturday and asked me to join Manjhi's camp. If I would not do the same, I should be ready to face the music. However, I told him that our only leader was Nitish Kumar and he would always remain our so,' said Sunita.

Narendra was not available for comment and both Shyam and Sanjay denied the allegations, saying that they had gone to boost her morale after getting news that she was being threatened by MLAs of Manjhi's camp.

In another development, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) president and Union minister of state for human resource department Upendra Kushwaha has asked party workers to prepare for early Assembly elections, possibly before the onslaught of rainy season. He made the announcement in Jamui on Sunday afternoon. 'I advise my elder brother, Nitish ji, not to dream of becoming Bihar chief minister again. His real face has come to light. He cannot tolerate the rise of a Mahadalit in Bihar politics.'

On the other hand, BJP state unit president Mangal Pandey on Sunday attacked former chief minister Nitish Kumar for creating political instability in the state.

Pandey claimed Nitish cannot live away from the chief minister's chair for long and his act of making Manjhi the chief minister was all drama. Pandey was speaking after nine Patna Municipal Corporation councillors joined the BJP.