NDA move betrayal of mandate, say opposition parties

Patna: Leader of opposition in state assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Tuesday targeted outgoing CM Nitish Kumar, alleging that the latter had, in a way, helped the followers of Godse and the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi establish their rule in Bihar.“He is establishing the party which murdered Mahatma Gandhi. He used to take Bapu’s name, but gave opportunity to a party with the ideology of Nathuram Godse. He is establishing those who used to abuse Karpoori ji,” Tejashwi told the reporters. He also took a swipe at CM-designate Samrat Choudhary, saying the latter was a product of Lalu Prasad’s political school. “Even BJP has to do its politics around Lalu Ji’s ideology,” Tejashwi said, adding that the CM-designate was not the people’s choice.RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan echoed similar views, saying the BJP, by choosing Samrat, had created a more difficult situation for him. “He has been given the helm of Bihar at a time when Nitish ji exhausted its treasury,” he said.The Congress also criticised the NDA, accusing it of betraying the mandate. Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said the people of Bihar had been misled, as the NDA sought votes in Nitish’s name. “Where is the slogan 2025 se 30 phir se Nitish,” Singh asked. He added that the Grand Alliance (GA) would now need to revise its strategy. “There was some advantage of Nitish Kumar. He never let riot or communal unrest happen in Bihar, unlike neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, where BJP is in govt.”Former state president and party MLC Madan Mohan Jha also criticised the NDA for betraying the mandate.When asked whether the opposition Grand Alliance would alter its strategy in view of the changing political structure in the state, with JD(U)-led Nitish stepping back from the driving seat, Congress spokesperson Rajesh Rathorre said, “Definitely, the strategy needs to be changed. There is an anger and vacuum in the JD(U), which should be tapped by the GA.”A political expert said Tejashwi should seek to utilise the opportunity, but added that the RJD needed to move beyond its perceived image as a party of Yadavs.“Tejashwi should try to come out of the image of the party of only Yadavs. We have seen that, be it minority, or even EBC, they face threat from people of Yadav community. This needs to be solved. Though he has been talking about A to Z, one cannot deny the fact that Yadavs have always been given an upper hand in the party,” he said.