JDU leader KC Tyagi says Nitish Kumar ’insulted’, RJD’s Tejashwi responds ’Bihar mein khel hona baki hai’

Janata Dal (United)'s political adviser and spokesperson KC Tyagi said on Saturday it all but clear that the grand alliance government in Bihar is on the verge of collapse. He even accused a section of the Congress leadership of repeatedly "insulting" Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The statement came as speculation are rife that Nitish Kumar may switch alliances and return to the BJP-led NDA ahead of the Lok Sabha Election 2024.

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"The INDIA bloc is on the verge of collapse. The alliance of INDIA bloc parties is almost over in Punjab, West Bengal and Bihar," Tyagi was quoted by ANI as saying.

"The goal and intentions with which Kumar, the JD(U) president, succeeded in bringing non-Congress parties with the Congress have come unstuck," Tyagi said, asserting that their leader was "misunderstood".

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"Kumar never hankered after a position in the alliance but a section of the Congress leadership repeatedly insulted him," he said. Tyagi reportedly said he could not see as to how the INDIA bloc parties could fight the "all-powerful" BJP.

However, at the press conference on Saturday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh highlighted the importance Nitish Kumar has in the INDIA bloc. He said one of the architects of the alliance is the Bihar Chief Minister and one of the co-architects is the West Bengal Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee).

'Bihar mein abhi khel hona baki hai'

Leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) gathered at party supremo Lalu Prasad's home in Patna on Saturday to attend an emergency meeting convened by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.

As per ANI, sources informed that Tejashwi Yadav told the leaders of the party present at the meeting that the Nitish Kumar is "respectable" but there were many factors which were not under his "control."

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"CM Nitish Kumar was and is respectable. Many things are not under his (Nitish Kumar) control. RJD's allies in the 'Mahagathbandhan' always respected the Chief Minister..." Tejashwi Yadav was quoted as saying by the sources.

The sources added that Tejashwi had also hinted at many unexpected developments in the state. "The Chief Minister used to sit with me on the stage and ask, "What was there in Bihar before 2005?" I never reacted... Now, more people are with us," Yadav reportedly said,

"Whatever remained undone in two decades, we managed to get it done within a short time- be it jobs, caste census, increasing reservation, etc. 'Bihar mein abhi khel hona baki hain' (The game is yet to begin in Bihar) Yadav was quoted as saying.

Some time ago, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had taken a swipe at the ruling alliance in Bihar following Nitish Kumar's meeting with the governor. "In Bengali, it is said, "Khela Hobe", in Magahi.."Khela hokto". In Bhojpuri.."Khela Hokhi". As for the rest, you yourself are wise...," — Jitan Ram Manjhi (@jitanrmanjhi) January 23, 2024 ">Manjhi had said in a post.

(With inputs from ANI)