Bihar: RJD's demand for 'Tejashwi Prasad Yadav as CM in 2023' irks ally JD(U)

PATNA: Uneasiness grows in the JD(U) camp as ally RJD has started promoting its leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav's name for the state's CM post much before the usually expected 2024 parliamentary polls for which both his father Lalu Prasad and Bihar chief Minister Nitish Kumar have joined hands to unite the opposition parties to take on BJP and PM Narendra Modi.
Be it RJD chief Lalu Prasad, its state president Jagadanand Singh or party's state spokesperson Bhai Birendra, everyone has gone on saying that deputy CM Tejashwi will replace Nitish "soon". The mad scramble to predict his "early coronation" began soon after Lalu on September 28 said his younger son will definitely become the CM. Although he didn't give the time frame, Jagadanand reiterated on Friday that Tejashwi will become the CM "as early as 2023"- well two years before the current state assembly term expires in 2025.
"One should try to understand that duration for anything is not fixed. In the entire movement, there is a need to bring together people from across the country and Nitish will have to set on yatra to achieve that," Jagada said and added that "in such a situation, there cannot be vacancy in the state". He pointed towards the fact that a full-fledged CM will be needed to look after the affairs in Bihar. "We all will unite to safeguard the country and fight for the rights of Bihar," he said.
Singh said they (RJD) along with the people of Bihar have selected Nitish, who is one of the senior most socialist leaders, to work for the development of the country and Nitish has considered Tejashwi able enough to handle Bihar.
Such statements, however, are now causing "irritations" in the JD(U) camp with the BJP using them as a tool to "tease" Nitish, who dumped the saffron party last month to form the grand alliance government with RJD, Congress and others in the state. Top JD(U) leaders said such statements may harm the alliance and it will be better if everyone focuses on defeating BJP in the next polls.
"We don't find anything objectionable in the statement of Jagada Babu. His statement is like that of a father who always worries to settle the family by marrying his children," JD(U) parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha said on Friday, denying any rift in the ruling alliance.
However, minority welfare minister and JD(U) leader Mohd Zama Khan said Nitish would complete his five-year term as the CM. "Let the people say what they like," he told the media, advising the RJD leaders to refrain from making unnecessary comments.
BJP, however, suggested RJD to appoint Tejashwi the CM by causing a split in the JD(U) since Nitish has a track record of not honouring any "deal" he made with his allies. "Nitish ditched BJP and Laluji twice each, Jitan Ram Manjhi once and thrice the people of Bihar. The man who ditched the people of Bihar thrice in the past 10 years can't be relied on," BJP Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi said.
BJP's state vice-president Rajib Ranjan said the knot between RJD and JD(U) seems slowly untying as is evident from RJD's hurry to appoint Tejashwi the next CM. "If RJD leaders' statements are any indication, the party still treats Nitish as enemy number 1 and wants to get rid of him very soon," Ranjan said, adding all such statements were coming at the behest of Lalu.