Cash transfer rumour before RS poll
With Ashfaq Kareem throwing his hat in the Rajya Sabha poll ring as an Independent candidate, speculation over “money power” has started doing the rounds. In political circles, Independent Rajya Sabha candidates flaunting money are known as dhanpashus (wealthy).
'The Independent MLAs benefit the most from dhanpashus because they do not have to ensure the victory of their own party or the alliance candidates,” said a BJP MLA. With cross voting rare, the Independent candidates usually focus on “free votes” for getting into Rajya Sabha. There were talks in the past about huge cash being transferred to “free voters” during the Rajya Sabha polls. Some MLAs even defied the party whip and voted for Independent candidates. “There is even a case in Bihar where a party MP of the Rajya Sabha quit his seat to enable a Dhanpashu manage the by-poll in his favour. There was talks about an astronomical amount been given to the MP who quit his seat,” said an old-timer.
Even as rumbling started among the BJP MLAs over the party conceding the sixth seat to its ally, the JD(U), the party leaders loyal to deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi got a fright when animal and fish resources minister Giriraj Singh walked out of the Assembly to talk to reporters of electronic news channels. With a track record of criticising chief minister Nitish Kumar on the Narendra Modi episode, the BJP leaders were frightened that Giriraj might repeat his performance before the camera. “What is Girirajji saying?” asked a BJP leader, fearing that the minister would not hesitate to blast the state leadership. They heaved a sigh of relief as Giriraj only spoke about the “sacrifice” the BJP was willing to make for a “developed Bihar”. 'He seems to have matured,' said the BJP leader. When industrialist and six-term MP Mahendra Prasad was sitting in the chief minister’s chamber after filing his nomination papers for Rajya Sabha, several MLAs told him that they had voted for him on previous occasions. “I had voted for you when you were an RJD candidate,” said a former lady MLA. She was candid enough to remark that Prasad was visible to the MLAs only when there were Rajya Sabha polls in the state. 'Prasad has been a Rajya Sabha MP on the Congress, the RJD and the JD(U) tickets. He has been a Lok Sabha MP once. The President of India nominated him to Rajya Sabha once. “The way he is going, he ill be a Rajya Sabha P for life,” said a easoned MLA. The NDA MLAs confess that the long session of the Assembly gives them a golden opportunity to meet the chief minister, Nitish Kumar. “He is available in his chamber when the House is in session. Under normal circumstances, seeking his appointment at 1 Aney Marg is extremely difficult. Our plea for appointment are often kept pending for months,” said an NDA legislator. Old-timers recalled that late Bhagwat Jha Azad was considered the most “difficult” chief minister to meet. “But Azad also used to meet around 24 MLAs every day if he happened to be in Patna. On the contrary, Nitish does not meet MLAs for months,” said an MLA.
