Sharad Yadav at the Patna airport on Thursday. (PTI photo)
At a time when speculation is rife over a possible split in JD(U) over Bihar CM and party chief Nitish Kumar’s decision to break ranks with the Grand Alliance and join hands with BJP, senior JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav Thursday said there are two JD(U)s, “one is sarkari JD (U) in which people have become CM and ministers and the other is that of workers”.
Yadav has expressed displeasure with Nitish’s decision and has decided to hold public interactions in various parts of Bihar. Launching his programme, “janta se seedha samvad”, from Dudhaila village in Sonepur, the Rajya Sabha MP said the Grand Alliance split was not just a “betrayal of agreement with people of Bihar, but also of people across the country” who hailed the Grand Alliance victory in the 2015 Bihar polls. Yadav said he had not seen any other instance of “such breach of people’s trust” in the 70 years after Independence.
Sharing the dais with Yadav were Sonepur’s RJD MLA Ramanuj Rai and local Congress leader Jitendra Singh. While the function was organised by Samajwadi Jan Morcha, an apolitical organisation, some JD (U) flags were seen on the stage. The function was organised on private land after the state government refused permission for the event.
Speaking about his interaction programme, during which he is scheduled to attend 25 public meetings over three days in Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Madhubani, Yadav said: “People say I have come out to the road, but this is where I have always been. Power comes from the people and vote is the engine of democracy.”
“(BJP used) 26 helicopters and 12 planes in 2015 Bihar polls. We formed the Grand Alliance that was supported by Left parties, BSP and SP… people of Bihar gave the Grand Alliance two-thirds majority. People of country too hailed this. But who has broken that trust? This is why I have come to people. You have to make Grand Alliance stronger,” said Yadav, drawing applause from hundreds who waited for nearly two hours in rain for Yadav to arrive.
“There was a manifesto of Grand Alliance prepared by Laluji, Nitishji, Congress and me and there was another manifesto of BJP, of PM Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah. The people’s mandate was for five years. Can one think of another example where two manifestos are implemented?” said Yadav.
RJD workers were present at the event in large numbers. A supporter of RJD MLA Rai said: “We campaigned in villages to get maximum crowd at Sharad Yadav’s function”.
Sonepur is dominated by OBC Yadavs and upper-caste Rajputs. Some local residents present at the meeting claimed that Bihar CM was harassing Yadavs by cracking down on illegal sand mining. “Everyone knows several Yadav families are in the sand business. The government must nab wrongdoers, but not stop the sand business,” said an elderly Yadav who retired as a railway gateman.
“Had Nitish taken any step towards becoming Prime Minister, we would have appreciated it, but by joining BJP, he has lost his credibility,” said Nagina Yadav, a local resident.
