Patna, Dec. 14: Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh today said chief minister Nitish Kumar was trying to cosy up to the BJP again.
"Nitish is not the chief minister of just one party, he is the CM of the Grand Alliance and his support for demonetisation proves that he is getting close to the BJP," Raghuvansh told The Telegraph.
He said Nitish's stand was damaging the RJD's fight against demonetisation.
"It was Nitish who opened liquor shops in each and every corner of the state and now he takes credit for implementing prohibition. In the same way, he was earlier with the BJP and had formed the government so you should not be surprised he goes back to BJP to form the government," Raghuvansh said.
Asked what makes him think so, Raghuvansh said: "In terms of numbers (of MLAs) RJD is more than JDU and Nitish is afraid the RJD can kick him out anytime; so, to gain the BJP's trust, he is supporting demonetisation."
The RJD has 80 MLAs, the JDU has 71, and the Congress has 27. The BJP has 53.
Raghuvansh is an old Nitish baiter.
In political circles, some saw the outburst as an expression of frustration by the RJD "old guard" such as Raghuvansh, Md Taslimuddin and Jagdanand Singh, who were powerful in the Lalu Prasad-Rabri Devi era but find themselves marginalised in the present RJD set-up where deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav is Lalu's torchbearer.
A section of JDU leaders, however, felt the frequent attacks on Nitish by the likes of Raghuvansh may have the tacit support of Lalu.
"Despite frequent public statements by these two leaders and our demand from Lalu to take action against them, the RJD leadership has looked the other way," fumed a senior JDU leader. "The RJD is uneasy over Nitish Kumar's support to Prime Minister Modi's demonetisation and wants Nitish to fall in line."
In the past, senior JDU leaders and ministers Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Lalan Singh had called a press conference urging Lalu to control Raghuvansh.
The RJD vice-president, declared he would not be muzzled. "Why should I be afraid of anyone? I speak what I feel," Raghuvansh said. "Has PM Modi invited Nitish to support demonetisation? If not, then why is he supporting it?"
JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar tore into Raghuvansh's argument. "Nitishji is a visionary leader. He had supported L.K. Advani when Advani had offered a chadar at the mausoleum of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the whole of BJP was against it. Even on demonetisation, Nitish has also said that the Centre should act on benami property as well. Nitishji does not need certificate from anyone. History knows that Nitish ji has sacrificed power."
The BJP did not miss the chance to stick it into the ruling allies.
"Raghuvansh is not saying anything wrong," said senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi. "Lalu knows well that if Nitish can ditch the BJP, with whom he ran the government for 17 years, he can betray anyone. Nitish does politics of convenience, and there is a trust deficit between the RJD and the JDU."
Nitish can easily form government with the BJP and that's why the RJD is pressuring Nitish to change his stand on demonetisation, Modi added.
