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How Tejashwi Yadav is taking centre stage in Bihar politics

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Amitabh Srivastava
Amitabh SrivastavaFeb 21, 2018 | 11:56

How Tejashwi Yadav is taking centre stage in Bihar politics

When the Bihar government announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the family of martyred CRPF jawan Mujahid Khan — who had died fighting terrorists in Srinagar last week — RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav attacked chief minister Nitish Kumar, calling the ex gratia insufficient.

“Mujahid sacrificed his life fighting for our country. He did not die consuming spurious liquor that you are perfunctorily paying his family Rs 5 lakh,” Tejashwi said. Soon the martyr’s family too refused to accept the government’s compensation offer.

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The young leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly also skipped the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) held in Patna on Saturday. Instead, he opted to be with the martyr’s family at Piro in Bhojpur district. Having criticised Nitish and the BJP for “insulting” CRPF jawans killed in Jammu and Kashmir, the young leader chose to skip the Commonwealth spotlight to stand with a martyr’s family in their hour of crisis.

Though Lalu Prasad is in jail and not available to guide him, Tejashwi Yadav, with his words and actions, has revealed a sharp political head that rests on his 28-year-old shoulders. All this is no less surprising. With charismatic Lalu Prasad in judicial custody following back-to-back convictions and the Congress once again bordering on irrelevance despite 27 MLAs in Bihar, many political analysts had expected the RJD to be pushed on the back foot, if not written off completely. But, the embattled son of Lalu Prasad has revealed his combative self, effectively taking the ownership of the state Opposition and doing it rather well.

The younger son of Lalu Prasad and also his anointed heir, Tejashwi Yadav, owes his status to his father’s legacy. Even his most ardent supporters had serious doubts over his capacity to run the party in Lalu’s absence. But Tejashwi seems to have done better by reaching out to people unlike Lalu, who was seen touring the state only during elections.

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Currently, criss-crossing various districts as a part of the second phase of Samvidhan Bachao Nyay Yatra, the young leader of Opposition is drawing good crowds, giving ample evidence that RJD supporters have effortlessly switched to him in the absence of Lalu. Everywhere, in all his public meetings, Tejashwi is quick to combat the government, questioning the poor law and order and ridiculing the Nitish government with pointed questions.

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Tejashwi, however, has a difficult designation. With the Enforcement Directorate and CBI snapping at the heels of his family with a string of corruption cases, every time Tejashwi rises to make a point, he is buffeted from all sides. Every word he says is questioned by the army of JD(U) and BJP spokespersons. From his educational qualification to his wealth, everything related to him is sneered at.

But the tough job at hand has lifted the lid on him, letting his combatant core takeover the causal one. With his well-researched and matter-of-fact intervention, Tejashwi has made himself be counted in Bihar.

The adverse circumstances have also brought out the best — and worst — in Tejashwi Yadav. Besides leading the RJD, which is still the single-largest party in Bihar, with aplomb and flair, Tejashwi has shown unmitigated contempt by hitting even below the belt at his opponents.

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The bigger the enemy, the better is his bellicosity. Or perhaps, it is Tejashwi’s quest to stay relevant in his role as the leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly that has made him add additional ounces of audacity to his approach.

Tejashwi’s metamorphosis has been good news for Bihar’s political landscape too. But when it comes to visibility and relevance, the warts-and-all account of the state Opposition today cuts through the erstwhile myth and brings this charismatic and single-minded young man to the forefront.

In hindsight, the Opposition is clearly fighting to stay relevant in Bihar where Nitish Kumar has both brute majority and enormous goodwill. But when even a section of Congress leaders has been found showing a soft, simpering indulgence in Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi has been a mean but meaningful leader of Opposition, someone who has made a difference.

(Courtesy of Mail Today)

Last updated: February 21, 2018 | 11:56
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