♔A day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar claimed that he "made Lalu Yadav", Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) retaliated as RJD leader and Bihar's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav claimed that he made Kumar chief minister "twice."
The spat between the RJD and the JD(U) took place ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Till January 2024, Nitish Kumar was in alliance with the RJD and the Congress. However, the 'Mahagathbandhan'⛄ fell apart as JD(U) rejoined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The Nitish-Tejashwi War Of Words
✅On Tuesday, CM Nitish Kumar said, "Even when the people of Lalu Yadav's caste (Yadav)were not in Lalu’s favor and didn’t want him to be the Chief Minister, I supported him. I made your father (Lalu Yadav) CM."
꧑Responding to Kumar's claim, Tejashwi today said, "Forget about what Nitish Kumar says. Nitish Kumar should remember that even before him, my father had already been elected as an MLA twice and once as an MP. Forget about Lalu Yadav, Lalu Ji has made many Prime Ministers. It was me who made him (Nitish Kumar) CM twice and saved his party."
"I am worried about Nitish Kumar ♔now. It is so unfortunate that he is speaking in such a language. You were in Lalu ji's team, you were called Lalu ji's man", RJD MP Manoj Jha said.
"Tejaswi Yadav, without any bitterness, gave a historical analysis, contemporary challenges, and an outline of the future; he explained everything based on logic...You (Nitish Kumar) did not answer it... You are the creator of the universe, you are Brahma. If such thoughts are coming to your mind these days, then I am even more worried about you," Jha further added, as per NDTV.
ꦦAhead of the Bihar Assembly Elections, the Janata Dal (United) led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has gone all out to pay attention to the “jungle raj” allegations against the reign of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi during 1990-2005.
𝓀Addressing a joint rally with Nitish in Bihar's Bhagalpur on February 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the RJD by referring to it as “jungle raj waale”.
The RJD- JD(U) Relation Over The Years
ꦗLalu Yadav became the Chief Minister of Bihar in 1990, and Nitish Kumar claimed he played a key role in making that possible. At the time, there was a battle between Lalu and Ram Sundar Das for the highest spot. Kumar says he supported Lalu, helping him become CM.
ဣWhen Janata Dal won the Bihar polls in 1990, Nitish Kumar was part of his core team. But four years down the line, he opposed Lalu Prasad, left the party, and made the Samata Party with George Fernandes. Later JD(U) led by Sharad Yadav came together with the Samata Party to form the reconstituted JD(U).
♚In 2015, RJD won 80 seats, and JD(U) won 71, but RJD let Nitish Kumar keep the top post.
In 2022, Nitish Kumar broke his partnership with the BJP for the second time and rejoined the 'Mahagathbandhan' 🐭alliance. He took the top post and Tejashwi Yadav remained his deputy.
꧋However, this union lasted only over a year, and in January 2024, Kumar switched sides again, returning to the BJP.
