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How long can Nitish Kumar pretend it's all fine in Bihar with Lalu Prasad Yadav?

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Amitabh Srivastava 
Amitabh Srivastava Jul 11, 2017 | 10:46

How long can Nitish Kumar pretend it's all fine in Bihar with Lalu Prasad Yadav?

Nitish Kumar may not have spoken a word in the public domain when CBI raided the Patna residence of political ally Lalu Prasad on Friday — besides registering an FIR against the RJD chief, his wife Rabri Devi, and son Tejashwi, the deputy CM in the RJD-JD(U)-Congress alliance government — but the chief minister’s silence seems no less deafening.

Neither Nitish nor his party has said anything, even as the other Grand Alliance constituent Congress — along with TMC and SP’s Akhilesh Yadav — has come out in defence of Lalu and his family. Besides its own 71 JD(U) MLAs, the Nitish led Grand Alliance government has the backing of 80 legislators from Lalu’s RJD and 27 from the Congress.

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But Nitish, who has never in the past allowed tainted colleagues in his cabinet, needs to tread cautiously this time, as any action against his deputy chief minister can prove counterproductive for the continuance of his government.

The RJD is aware of the delicate power balance, which is why Lalu has clearly put his foot down, insisting through his party that there was no question of Tejashwi’s resignation since the CBI case is a result of “political vendetta” by the BJP. This looks like a showdown with Nitish’s established view of not letting tainted elements in the government. Nitish, meanwhile, has also not given his party leaders a hint about his immediate political plans.

There was no official reaction from JD(U) even when a second central intelligence agency, Enforcement Directorate, raided the premises allegedly owned by Lalu Prasad’s eldest daughter, Misa Bharti. Historically, Nitish has been unsparing on ministers with legal baggage. In November 2005, Nitish made minister Jitan Ram Manjhi resign within hours of being made a minister because of a pending vigilance case against him.

Nitish was told about Manjhi’s name in the “B.Ed scam” — dating back to when Manjhi was a junior minister in the Rabri Devi cabinet — shortly after his swearing in. But, Nitish lost no time and made Manjhi quit from the ministry.

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“Nitish has always been particular about pending corruption cases against ministers — he often told us that corruption and political cases are different,” recalled BJP senior leader Sushil Modi, who was Nitish’s deputy for eight years in the NDA government.

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This was not a solitary case, as, in 2008, Nitish made transport minister Ramanand Singh quit following a pending case of political agitation. Again, in 2010, he sacked his excise minister Jamshed Ashraf, and in 2011, he made cooperative minister Ramadhar Singh put in his papers after he was found an absconder in an old case.

Over the years, Nitish has not changed, though he may take some more time to take a decision on the continuance of Tejaswi in his government. “If there is one thing Nitish cares for and will never compromise on, it’s his image and high credentials,” said a senior JD(U) leader.

“Nitish guards his image fiercely and will never let an impression build that he, as Bihar CM, was trying to save someone who is on the wrong side of the law. It doesn’t matter if that person belongs to his own party, the ally or the Opposition,” said a JD(U) leader.

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Nitish’s uncompromising stand against criminal politicians was clear even after taking over as CM leading the Grand Alliance government as he remained unsparing on his MLC Manorama Devi — the mother of road rage murder accused Rocky Yadav — as well as on RJD’s Mohammad Shahabuddin and rape-accused RJD MLA Raj Ballabh Yadav.

This time too Nitish will have to take the call. But he will choose the time to crack the whip. “He may wait for the FIR to be converted into a chargesheet or may convey to Lalu to see reason. If nothing happens, he may step in and formally drop the deputy CM,” said a JD(U) leader.

To add to Nitish’s advantage is the fact that the RJD is in no position to call off the Grand Alliance and will have to stay with Nitish’s JD(U).

(Courtesy of Mail Today.)

 

 

Last updated: July 11, 2017 | 17:30
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