Bihar has shown the way to the country, says Tejashwi Yadav

Nitish Kumar’s return to Mahagathbandhan is a slap on the BJP’s face, says Rahstriya Janata Dal leader

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s return to the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) is “a slap on the BJP’s face,” Rahstriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav said on Friday, as he asserted that the same model would be replicated in other States.

In his first visit to Delhi after taking oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr. Yadav met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other Opposition leaders, including CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D. Raja.

In these meetings, he is said to have discussed the recent developments in the State as well as its national implications.

Soon after exiting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Mr. Kumar had talked about Opposition unity before the next Lok Sabha polls and Mr. Yadav stressed on preparing a road map for the 2024 polls.

Mr. Yadav’s Delhi visit holds significance for Cabinet expansion as his father and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad is here and finalisation of names of ministers is set to be high on the agenda during the discussions between the two.

Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Ms. Gandhi, Mr. Yadav said Bihar had shown the way to the country and the politics of intimidation by the BJP-led Central government was no longer tenable.

Quoting the political scenario in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, he said, ”the BJP government believes in intimidating those who can be easily scared and buying off others. They are destroying all constitutional institutions, be it the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Enforcement Directorate or income tax departments. Their situation is worse than police stations.”