In less than a year after they tied up to form a new government in Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Janata Dal-United, are locked in a heated exchange that shows no sign of a let-up despite the intervention of chief minister Nitish Kumar and RJD national president Lalu Prasad.
The stateтАЩs education minister, RJD leader Chandrashekhar, hasnтАЩt been attending his office ever since his own department issued a communication three days ago, forbidding his personal secretary (PS) from entering its premises.
The PS, Kishnanand Yadav, had shot off a strongly-worded letter to departmentтАЩs additional chief secretary K K Pathak, who is said to enjoy the chief ministerтАЩs trust, effectively issuing a gag order for department officials, citing alleged information leaks to the media.
On Friday, RJDтАЩs Sunil Kumar Singh, who is an MLC (member of legislative council), lashed out at chief minister Nitish Kumar, alleging that he was using bureaucrats to tame his partyтАЩs leaders. тАЬWhen Nitish wants to control ministers from other parties, he deputes officers like KK Pathak,тАЭ said the MLC, who is considered close to Lalu Prasad.
Singh, who is also the chairman of the BISCOMAUN, a multistate cooperative federation, also recalled how the CM had once used another IAS officer, C K Anil, to settle scores with him while he was working as the BISCOMAUN chairman during the NDA regime in Bihar.
Minister Ashok Choudhary, who is from CM KumarтАЩs JD-U, almost immediately responded in kind. тАЬWe do not take a serious note of what Sunil Singh speaks. He is not the ultimate leader in RJD. Why should we react to his remarks? What Lalu Prasad speaks (on such issues), what Rabri Devi speaks, are more important,тАЭ Choudhary shot back, when approached by reporters for a response.
Unfazed, Sunil Kumar Singh once again hit out at the chief minister on Saturday, saying he was losing control. тАЬThe way things are moving, it seems that situation is not under the control of the chief minister. Development has not taken place in the manner it should have taken place. On the ground, nothing seems good,тАЭ Singh told reporters.
For the record, the JD-U rubbished suggestions of a crack in the alliance, which would be completing a year in government in second week of August.
Addressing a press conference here, JDUтАЩs state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha said, тАЬThese are all rumours fuelled by the BJP, which is in desperation after the momentum gained in the Opposition unity drive initiated by our leader.тАЭ
He also mocked claims by BJP leaders and others that a number of JD-U legislators and parliamentarians were тАЬin touchтАЭ with them and were willing to jump ship.
JD-U chief spokespersons and MLC Neeraj Kumar, who spoke to media persons separately, echoed similar views but expressed concern over the sulking education minister not going to his office.
However, JD-U privately admitted that tension has crept into the alliance after the CBI filed a charge sheet against deputy chief minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav in land for jobs case and particularly over the manner in which RJDтАЩs Sunil Singh was targeting the CM. тАЬEverybody knows his closeness with LaluтАЩs family… there must be some backing to his utterances,тАЭ said a senior JD-U leader who didnтАЩt wish to be named.
RJD spokespersons werenтАЩt immediately available for their response.
In Bihar, the ruling alliance comprises RJD, JD-U and Congress as constituents while Left parties support the government from outside.
