Nitish Kumar Can't Win Seats in Double Digit if He Fights on His Own: Tejashwi Yadav

Hitting back at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for launching a blistering attack on Lalu Prasad politically as well as personally, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav Tuesday said the JD(U) president’s “impressive face” cannot fetch him seats even in double digit if his party enters poll fray on its own.

Yadav, who served as Kumar’s Deputy in the previous Grand Alliance government, asserted that his Samata party could win just seven seats in the 1995 assembly elections and again he could bag a meagre two seats in 2014 Lok Sabha polls when JD (U) fought in alliance with the CPI.

“His (Nitish Kumars) impressive face (pratapi chehra) can’t win for him seats in double digit if he fights on his own in his entire lifetime It is my claim and challenge,” Yadav said in a tweet.

Kumar had Monday while addressing JD(U) virtual rally made a scathing attack on Lalu Prasad and his family and highlighted comparative statistics to show the pace of development in Bihar during 15 years of “Pati-Patni Raj” (Lalu-Rabri rule) and as much time under him since then.

Kumar has been on chief minister’s chair since end of the RJD rule in November 2005 and will be seeking fourth straight term in office in the polls due in October-November.

The JD(U) president had also taken a swipe at Tejashwi Yadav by refering seven sins as enumerated by Mahatma Gandhi who considered “money without work” as a sin among others.

Stating that there are many people who have made huge money without doing anything in life, Kumar had said I asked him (Tejashwi) to explain before the people from where the money came, but he was not in a position to do. So I decided to part ways with them (with RJD).

Lalu, his wife Rabri devi, Tejashwi Yadav and some other members of the family are accused in the alleged “Hotels for Land” scam being probed by the CBI.

Lalu and his family members allegedly received prime land in the state capital, when the RJD chief was the railway minister, in return for contracts to run two hotels owned by the IRCTC, a subsidiary of the Indian Railways.

Senior JD(U) leader and MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh countered Tejashwi and asked in whose name vote was sought during 2010 assembly polls when the RJD was reduced to 22 seats.

The JD(U)-BJP combine headed by Kumar had won four-fifth majority in the 243-member assembly in 2010.

The RJD’s humiliation was complete when Lalu Prasad’s wife Rabri Devi was defeated in both the constituencies she had contested.

After collapse of mahagathbandhan government in July 2017, the RJD leaders had claimed that it was because of them that JD(U) won 71 seats in 2015 Bihar assembly polls.

JD(U) had fought in alliance with RJD and Congress under grand alliance in the last assembly elections.

The JD(U) leaders have been rebutting the claim, saying even then Kumar was the face of the grand alliance.

Tejashwi further retweeted party’s series of tweets with a slogan “naa bhule hain, naa bhulne denge” in which it took up the issue of migrant labourers who they alleged were left in lurch by the state government on “Gods mercy” during coronavirus lockdown.