Don’t need Nitish chacha to defeat BJP: Tejashwi

Jitendra K Shrivastava

Tribune News Service

Patna, July 5

Attacking Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, leader of Opposition and RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s younger son Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday said he did not need “Nitish chacha” to defeat BJP in the forthcoming election.

Addressing party workers on the RJD’s 22^nd foundation day, Tejashwi said: “We need none, including ‘Nitish chacha’ to defeat BJP. In recent bypolls, we defeated BJP-JD(U) combine and we will repeat it in 2019.” The RJD has won three bypolls under Tejashwi’s leadership in Bihar.

“I am fortunate to be the son of a man who never compromised on his principle of secularism. If need be, Lalu ji would sacrifice the throne too,” Tejashwi said, adding that he would be called greedy if he inducts Nitish in the grand alliance.

He said Nitish had made his stand clear when he broke away from the alliance. “He joined hands with the BJP to make double-engine government for the sake of Bihar’s development. Since Bihar hasn’t been given special status or package, Nitish ji should respond where his development agenda vanished,” he said.

After a few Congress leaders suggested including Nitish back into the alliance, Tejashwi said he would not let this happen even if he was offered the CM’s post.

Tejashwi asked the party workers to be prepared for simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections if BJP dumps Nitish before Mission-2019.

Taking a dig at PM Narendra Modi, he said there was a need to carry out surgical strike in Doklam too where China has an airport.