As 'deadline' for Tejashwi ends, Nitish calls JD (U) meet on Sunday
Abhay Kumar, DH News Service, Pata, Jul 15 2017, 20:11 IST
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar speaks to media after World Youth Skills Day programme at the Gyan Bhawan in Patna on Saturday. PTI Photo
As the unofficial four-day deadline for Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav to “clarify or quit” ended on Saturday evening, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar convened Janata Dal (United) legislators’ meeting here on Sunday.
The meeting, which has been scheduled at 4 pm tomorrow, is officially scheduled to hold parleys about the presidential poll, slated for July 17, but Nitish may use the occasion to firm up his strategy how to overcome the week-long deadlock over Tejashwi issue, which has shown no sign of abatement.
After Lalu Prasad, who on Friday night reiterated that he was bound by the resolution adopted by the RJD Legislature Party (RJDLP) meet which resolved that “Tejashwi won’t quit under any circumstances”, the JD (U) issued a veiled threat to the RJD chief. “It’s time for Lalu ji to read the writing on the wall.... because it’s an undisputed fact that our leader Nitish Kumar won’t compromise on the issue of corruption,” said JD (U) chief spokesperson Sanjay Singh here on Saturday.
Though senior JD (U) leader KC Tyagi tried to downplay the issue and said Nitish never issued any deadline to Tejashwi, political observers here feel the showdown between Lalu and Nitish is heading towards an irreparable damage to the Grand Alliance.
The first sign of an uneasy relationship was evident on Saturday when Tejashwi did not turn up for a Government programme at Gyan Bhavan here where he was the guest of honour. His name plaque, which was earlier covered with a writing pad, was later removed when Nitish reached the dais at the Ashoka Convention Centre. In fact, Nitish’s antipathy towards the RJD was quite palpable when he exchanged his chair which was next to RJD minister Vijay Prakash, Labour Minister in Bihar Government.
Assuming that it could make news, Nitish took a dig at media and said it was more interested in spicy news than reporting about Bihar’s positive stories.
Bihar’s Water Resources Minister Lallan Singh from JD (U) sat besides Vijay Prakash thereby prompting Nitish to clarify that he exchanged his chair because of “strong breeze from AC.”
“The hostile relations and the frayed tempers, which have refused to cool down, may remain unchanged till the Presidential poll is over,” said a source in the ruling party.