JDU MLA Gopal Mandal does a U-turn on 'Nitish Will step down, Tejashwi will be CM' claim

A day after claiming that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will step down from CM post and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav will form the Bihar government, JDU MLA Gopal Mandal has made a U-turn. He has now claimed that his statement was edited by someone and then circulated on social media. On Saturday, he said that no one can remove Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, which comes as a contrast to what he said earlier - that Kumar will step down from his post after six months.

As per news agency ANI, JDU MLA Gopal Mandal had said, "After 6 months, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will step down from his post and the government of Tejashwi Yadav will be formed."

READ | JDU MLA's Big Claim: 'Nitish Will Step Down From CM Post, Tejashwi Will Form Bihar Govt'

Shyam Rajak's claim and RJD's offer

Earlier, RJD leader Shyam Rajak had said that as many as 17 RJD MLAs are in touch with the Tejashwi Yadav-led party. Rajak claimed that all the 17 MLAs wanted to join RJD, but were denied entry as Lalu Prasad Yadav's party doesn't want to resort to unconstitutional means. Citing anti-defection laws, Rajak said that if 25 to 26 legislators from JD(U) will join the party, then their membership will be accepted. The RJD leader claimed that JD(U) MLAs are unhappy about the way BJP was asserting itself on Nitish Kumar.

READ | JDU Chief RCP Singh Says 'do Not Need Anyone's Offer' On RJD's Invite To CM Nitish Kumar

Moreover, RJD leader Uday Narayan Choudhary urged CM Nitish to leave NDA and return to the Mahagatbandhan citing BJP's alleged contempt for small parties. He had claimed that the JP Nadda-led party wanted to finish JD(U) and highlighted Arunachal Pradesh as an example. He predicted that LJP president Chirag Paswan shall be inducted into the Union Cabinet soon to trouble Nitish Kumar.

READ | Sushil Modi mocks RJD's 'JD(U) MLAs in touch with us' claim, cites pre-Bihar polls exodus

JD(U)'s diminished role in Bihar

The 2020 Bihar Assembly election witnessed a voter turnout of 57.05 per cent as against that of 56.66 per cent in the 2015 polls. The polls turned out to be a nail-biting contest with NDA emerging victorious in 125 seats as against that of 110 seats won by the Mahagatbandhan. BJP, RJD, JD(U), Congress won 74, 75, 43, and 19 seats respectively. BJP winning more seats than JD(U) for the first time in a Bihar Assembly election led to the speculation that JD(U)'s clout in the alliance will reduce. LJP is believed to have damaged JD(U)'s prospects in 32 seats despite bagging a solitary seat.

While Kumar again took oath as the CM of Bihar, BJP has two Deputy CMs in 4-time MLAs Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi. Kumar's recent revelation that BJP pressurised him to become the Chief Minister set the rumour mills abuzz. While acknowledging that the former JD(U) chief didn't want to become the CM, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi opined that Kumar was convinced to take up the post as he was the face of the coalition in the polls. 

READ | Nitish Kumar rubbishes RJD's claims of '17 JDU MLAs in touch with us'; terms it 'baseless'