RJD MLA demands Tejashwi Prasad Yadav’s resignation

PATNA: Within a week of its Lok Sabha poll debacle, rift in RJD has widened with party’s Gaighat MLA Maheshwar Yadav on Monday demanding Tejashwi Prasad Yadav’s resignation on moral grounds.
RJD failed to win even a single seat out of the 19 it contested in Bihar in the recent general elections.
“Tejashwi-ji was not only the leader of RJD, but the entire Mahagathbandhan in Bihar in the Lok Sabha elections, but the party could not win even one seat. It is high time to learn a lesson from this loss and pass on the baton to a senior leader from another caste. Then only the party will revive,” Maheshwar said.
He further criticized RJD for being limited to its first family: “There is no policy or moral code being followed in RJD. It has become a private limited company.”
He referred to Lalu Prasad’s RJD as a sinking boat and warned if Tejashwi did not pass over the leadership to someone else, the party might lose many of its legislators. “Maximum legislators will leave the party. Who will like to stay in a sinking ship? RJD has no future even in the state assembly elections,” he said.
Maheshwar is the first person from RJD to openly criticize Tejashwi after the poll results on May 23. The MLA also said he would not participate in the RJD’s meeting on Wednesday with party’s legislators to analyse the poll results, unless Tejashwi resigns.
RJD state spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan, however, said Maheshwar was using opposition’s language. “He had even shared dais with chief minister Nitish Kumar after the latter joined hands with BJP. He can’t go against RJD in the assembly, hence criticizing the party outside the House,” Gagan said.
He added: “Maheshwar was neither invited to any RJD meeting, nor has been asked to attend the one to deliberate on our performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections.”