Nitish game for stomach MRI

Chief minister Nitish Kumar got a chance to take a potshot at his rivals, particularly Lalu Prasad, at the JD (U)’s executive party meeting in Patna on Thursday. The RJD chief had said during electioneering “Nitish ke pet mein daant hai (Nitish has teeth in his stomach)” Lalu’s intention was to say that Nitish was a man of “intrigue”. ut Nitish clarified on Thursday that he was ready to undergo MRI or X-Ray of his stomach to prove that his stomach was as normal as others. “I went to the people putting forth my promises and intention to serve them. They showered their love on me for which I am grateful to the people. They have proved their love to me. Still, I will offer my stomach for MRI or X-Ray,” the chief minister said, generating peels of laughter among the arty leaders.

Tough times

Na khuda hi mila, na visaal-e sanam, na idhar ke rahe na udhar ke rahe (neither I got the god nor the love, I am nowhere now). The rivals of JD (U) MP Monazir Hasan are reciting these lines to tease him. Monazir had fielded his wife, Shabnam Parveen, on an RJD ticket from Munger seat. She lost the polls and Monazir the faith of the party bosses. He had expected his wife to win. He might have dreamt of big happiness and also a good family life with both husband and wife presenting themselves as honourable peoples’ representative. Besides, he might have thought of giving a “befitting” reply to the chief minister, Nitish Kumar, by ensuring victory of his wife after the JD (U) denied her ticket. But Shabnam’s loss has virtually left him between the devil and the deep sea. Now, Damocles’ sword is hanging on Monazir, too, with the party leadership planning to take action against him. His wife has already lost. In such a situation, his rivals are quite apt in reciting, “Na khuda hi milaaa…”

CM’s love for Bengal

Few people know that chief minister Nitish Kumar can read and write Bangla. With some efforts, the chief minister wrote his name in Bangla. A visiting journalist of The Telegraph and some of his senior party colleagues were curiously watching the chief minister scribbling in Bangla on a piece of paper. On prodding, he candidly revealed that he learnt it from his Bengali friends in course of staying in jail during the Jaiprakash Narayan-led Bihar movement. He also reminded how Bihar and Bengal were culturally close to each other by saying that Bihar was part of Bengal till 99 years ago. Because of his interest in Bengal, the chief minister is keeping a close look on the elections due in the neighbouring state this year.

Say it right

Former Bihar chief minister and JD (U) MP from Hajipur Ramsunder Das had a foot in the mouth on Thursday. The veteran socialist leader referred to Nitish Kumar as “Nitish Prasad” time and again at the party’s executive committee meeting. The party leaders and cadres were simply perplexed to hear the veteran leader in his late 80s using wrong surname for the chief minister. Das might have made the mistake because of his age. But the chief minister was spot on when he fielded Das against the “redoubtable” Ram Vilas Paswan on the Hajpur seat in 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Das had virtually taken retirement from politics and few conjectured that he would be picked for the fray. But Nitish took him out of the wilderness to field him against the state’s tallest Dalit leader. Das won the seat against Paswan, surprising all.