Patna,(BiharTimes): For the first time Nitish Kumar addressed the Independence Day rally as the chief minister of Grand Alliance of Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress.
Like every year he highlighted his government’s achievement. But what is somewhat surprising is that he did not feel shy in citing the rise in the growth rate figures since 2005 when he took over as the chief minister of the state. He claimed as to how the size of budget increased and how the growth rate jumped to cross 10 per cent mark throughout the last one decade.
Needless to say it was none else but RJD, which was in power between 1990 and 2005. Thus indirectly he was criticizing the government led by his present friend Lalu Prasad and his spouse Rabri Devi.
Speaking at a function at Gandhi Sangrahalaya after inaugurating a mural on Mahatma Gandhi on the eve of 70th IndependenceDay on Sunday Nitish said he wanted to clarify that when he came to power in 2005, it was free flow of illicit liquor in the state. His government just regulated it by breaking the unethical chain of manufacturers and traders.
Though within less than 16 hours Nitish twice made references to the previous government yet no one from Lalu Prasad’s party chose to make it an issue.
The RJD boss himself has not publicly criticized the state government in the last nine months. It was only on the eve of the tabling of the excise bill that he raised the issue of stringent provisions of the new law.
Political observers are of the view that Lalu is not the type of politician who can remain silent for long. Yet if he is not speaking out anything against the present government it is his political compulsion. He is in no mood to harm his relationship with Nitish Kumar any more.
In 1990s, when he was young, he used to adopt aggressive approach. He is the one leader, who at the height of his rule broke the cadre-based party like BJP, and that too when the Ram Janambhoomi movement was gathering strom.
Similarly, several CPI ML and CPI leaders too were wooed by him.
That was the time when Lalu wanted to establish himself as the undisputed leader of Bihar. So he was in no mood to make any compromise.
But almost a quarter century later Lalu is somewhat a different man. There is no scope for him to bounce back as he is facing legal hurdles. He wanted to establish his sons and daughter in politics.
It needs to be recalled that immediately after the last year Assembly’s election result Lalu said that he would go to Varanasi and start his campaign against prime minister Narendra Modi. This city was chosen because the latter is prime minister’s parliamentary constituency.
Nine months later Lalu is yet to start his campaign. Instead Nitish has made several forays into Uttar Pradesh. He made special effort to address a public meeting in Varanasi. He is using his crusade against alcoholism as a political tool in that state.
For a moment RJD appears to be satisfied with playing second fiddle to JD(U) even though it got more seats than the latter. Though the Samajwadi Party did everything to harm the Grand Alliance in general and RJD in particular, Lalu openly lent his support to his ‘samadhi’, who is busy these days fighting the battle within the family.
The RJD supremeo is well aware of the political ground reality. He neither wants to harm his ties with Nitish in Bihar nor with Mulayam in UP.
Patna,(BiharTimes): For the first time Nitish Kumar addressed the Independence Day rally as the chief minister of Grand Alliance of Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress. 