The JD(U) leaders appear to be desperate to get rid of Governor Devanand Konwar. They decided to approach the Prime Minister’s Office for his ouster but were uncertain about the effectiveness of the move. Konwar is here because it is the wish of the Union government. It is understood that his acts have the consent of the Congress leadership,” a senior JD(U) leader said. Several leaders recalled the frozen relationship between the Rabri government and late Sundarlal Bhandari, the governor then. Bhandari, who once dismissed the Rabri government, was among the most hated persons during the RJD regime and was often subjected to taunts. A couple of ministers publicly conducted havan (a ritual) cursing the governor. “The havan did the trick and Bhandari was shifted out of Bihar. We may ask our ministers to perform the same to get rid of Konwar,” the JD(U) leader said. The RJD MP, Jagdanand Singh, is considered one of the most powerful orators in Bihar politics. But the MP from Buxar did a vanishing act last Saturday when his turn to speak came at dharna of the RJD. Lalu Prasad was shocked to learn that Jagda Bhai (as the leader is popularly known) had left. Former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Jagdanand had stayed away from the party functions for the past few months apparently unhappy over the way it was run. The presence of the two at the event might have given a semblance of unity. “Jagda Bhai will remain with Laluji. But his presence does not mean he is happy with the party affairs,” another senior RJD leader said. A spate of defections from the LJP and the RJD has left political circles wondering if the chief minister, Nitish Kumar, wanted to annihilate the Opposition completely. “I do not encourage them (the dissidents in the opposition parties) to come to my party. But if anybody wants to come, I do not discourage them,” Nitish said. The JD(U) leaders insist a crowd was just waiting for a nod to join their party. “But Nitish has been very choosy on the persons he wants in the party,” a senior leader said. After attending an event to promote his film Aarakshan at a mall, the Big B was taken out through its back gate to dodge the crowd. zAs a result, he had to take a short but bumpy ride on the roads of Patliputra industrial area. The Big B asked the driver if the roads of the state were as bumpy as the one he was travelling through. The driver had to assure Big B that the condition of roads in Bihar had improved. “But then Big B actually went out of Bailey Road, the only street kept in good condition even during the Lalu era. Normally Bollywood stars come to Patna by air and drive to a posh hotel near Gandhi Maidan. They never venture out to the other spots of the state capital. A prominent movie star praised Patna for its cleanliness and greenery during the Lalu era. He just crossed the VVIP area and the Bailey road and returned on the same route,” an official said.
Sunday, 21 December 2025
