New Delhi: Politics is intensifying in Bihar ahead of the Speaker’s election for the newly constituted 17th Bihar Assembly, with former deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi Wednesday taking to Twitter and alleging that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav was trying to topple the NDA government by promising its MLAs ministerial berths.
The Speaker’s election is scheduled for Wednesday (today).
Modi posted an audio tape of an alleged conversation between Lalu and Lalan Paswan, one of the MLAs of the ruling coalition.
“Lalu Yadav showed his true colours. Lalu Prasad Yadav is luring the NDA MLA to vote in favor of the Grand Alliance in the election for the Bihar Legislative Assembly Speaker,” posted Modi along with an alleged audiotape of a conversation between Lalu Prasad Yadav and MLA from the NDA coalition.
लालू यादव ने दिखाई अपनी असलियत
लालू प्रसाद यादव द्वारा NDA के विधायक को बिहार विधान सभा अध्यक्ष के लिए होने वाले चुनाव में महागठबंधन के पक्ष में मतदान करने हेतु प्रलोभन देते हुए। pic.twitter.com/LS9968q7pl
— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) November 25, 2020
This follows his earlier tweet Tuesday, in which he accused Lalu of calling up NDA MLAs.
“Lalu Yadav making telephone calls (8051216302) from Ranchi to NDA legislators and promising ministerial berths,” he had tweeted. “When I telephoned, Lalu directly picked up. I said don’t do these dirty tricks from jail, you will not succeed. (sic)”
Lalu Yadav making telephone call (8051216302) from Ranchi to NDA MLAs & promising ministerial berths. When I telephoned, Lalu directly picked up.I said don’t do these dirty tricks from jail, you will not succeed. @News18Bihar @ABPNews @ANI @ZeeBiharNews
— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) November 24, 2020
According to sources, a BJP functionary is likely to file a PIL in the court regarding the issue.
The RJD, however, has denied the allegations.
“Sushil Modi’s allegations are completely baseless and incorrect. In fact everyone knows he suffers from Lalu phobia,” said RJD state spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari. “By posting such messages and audios, they only want to divert attention from real issues of employment and development. They should follow positive politics, not negative. They need to stop this game of making allegations and diverting attention.”
‘Lalu running Bihar politics from jail’
The state BJP unit is now alleging that Lalu was trying to run Bihar politics from jail. “The audiotape shows how Lalu Prasad Yadav is trying to lure the MLAs. This is completely illegal. How can a convict have access to a phone?” asked Sanjay Jaiswal, Bihar BJP president. “He is running Bihar politics from Jharkhand. In fact he is staying at the director’s residence. I fail to understand how that is possible. The Jharkhand government too is involved in it.”
Lalu is currently serving time in the fodder scam cases but has been at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, due to his health condition. There are now allegations that he is being housed at the official accommodation of the RIMS director as opposed to the hospital.
The charges come on the day the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led NDA government will face its first test of strength in the Speaker’s election where Vijay Kumar Sinha has been pitted against the RJD-led Grand Alliance candidate Awadh Bihari Choudhary.
The ruling coalition won 125 seats in the 243-member state assembly, just above the halfway mark of 122. Jiten Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awam Morcha and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) are also part of the NDA alliance. The opposition Grand Alliance, led by RJD, won 110 seats.
Also read: How BJP got JD(U)’s Mewa Lal to resign as Nitish’s minister within an hour of taking charge