RJD asks Nitish to quit NDA & make Tejashwi CM, claims 'BJP to make Paswan Union Minister'

In a jibe at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, RJD on Tuesday urged him to leave NDA and return to the Mahagatbandhan citing BJP's alleged contempt for small parties. Speaking to the media, RJD leader Uday Narayan Choudhary claimed that the JP Nadda-led party wanted to finish JD(U) and highlighted Arunachal Pradesh as an example. Moreover, he predicted that LJP president Chirag Paswan shall be inducted into the Union Cabinet soon to trouble Nitish Kumar. While contesting alone in the recently concluded Bihar Assembly polls, LJP continued to praise PM Modi and targeted the ex-JD(U)'s performance as CM. Moreover, RJD contended that Kumar should play a key role in the Opposition in national politics. 

RJD leader Uday Narayan Choudhary remarked, "Akali Dal ran away from BJP owing to the three farm bills. RLP has also run away. BJP's strategy is that a big fish eats the small fish. Similarly, Modiji and Amit Shah want to eat the JD(U). They want to destroy Nitish Kumar. In Arunachal, BJP took away 6 MLAs of JD(U). What message does BJP want to send? BJP does not like small parties. They want to finish small parties. They want that Nitish Kumar's JD(U) will itself leave BJP.

We have got the intimation that Chirag Paswan is going to be made a Union Minister during the next Cabinet expansion. This is to anger Nitish Kumar even more. So, we want to appeal to the honourable CM- leave NDA and join Mahagatbandhan. Play an important role in making Tejashwi Yadav the CM. You play politics at the Central level and be an Opposition leader. Everyone will back you."

Read: EC Held COVID-safe Elections In Bihar; Now Preparing For Polls Next Year: CEC Sunil Arora

Read: Bihar BJP Leader Wants CM Nitish To Leave Home Portfolio, Amid BJP-JDU Arunachal Tussle

JD(U)'s reduced clout

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 ex-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: RJD Says 'BJP Hatching Conspiracy'; Extols Nitish's Ability 'to Calculate Next Move'