Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday asserted that only regional parties could stop BJP`s juggernaut and said that they should sit together and formulate a strategy for it.
TMC leader and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has pledged to help strengthen the opposition INDIA bloc after her party`s dismal performance in the election.
Replying to a query whether efforts would be made to revive the INDIA bloc at the national level as advocated by TMC leader, Tejashwi in a press conference said that he believed that all regional parties should unite. He said that they should sit together and discuss the matter as only they could stop BJP`s juggernaut, adding that this must also be understood by all stakeholders. The INDIA bloc should be formed at a national scale in a big way, he added.
Referring to the incidents in West Bengal, Tejashwi claimed that the BJP politicised violence in any state, but remained silent on the incidents in Bihar.
RJD national working president Tejashwi Yadav also lashed out at BJP and its allies on the issue of dynasty politics. RJD chief Lalu Prasad has been under attack by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting his son, Tejashwi, in politics. Modi called Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav “shahzada” on several occasions in his public meetings. "Who will Prime Minister Narendra Modi call a ‘shahzada’ (prince) now?" asked Tejashwi.
BJP has now lost the moral right to speak on dynasty politics, he added.
Notably , sons of three former chief ministers – Nitish Kumar, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Jagannath Mishra – have found place in the state cabinet. While it will be the maiden entry of Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant into the state cabinet, Manjhi`s son, Santosh Kumar Suman and Mishra`s son, Nitish Mishra, have already served as ministers. Like Nishant, Rajya Sabha member and former union minister Upendra Kushwaha’s son, Deepak Prakash, is not presently a member of either house of the state legislature, but inducted into the state cabinet. As many as 17 members of council of ministers including chief minister Samrat Choudhary are products of dynasty politics, he alleged.
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Tejashwi said that hurling abuses at Lalu Prasad was one thing, but many of the present leaders had come from the “Lalu Pathshala”. He alleged that there were no "original BJP members" left in the BJP and claimed that in the future, the children of both deputy chief ministers would also be seen in politics.
RJD leader alleged that the BJP got votes from smaller castes but did not give them representation in the cabinet. He said that Lalu gave tickets to many Muslims, but the BJP should explain how many Muslims it had given opportunities.
RJD leader alleged that Bihar still lagged behind in terms of employment, health care, and income. He claimed that the government was only engrossed in the politics of appointing ministers while there was no discussion on development issues. The government has not done any major work in the last six months, only changing names, he alleged, while raising the issue of low women's participation in the cabinet.
