Nitish Kumar’s Rajya Sabha move result of pressure politics by BJP: Tejashwi

Patna: Amid political buzz over Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar moving to the Rajya Sabha, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday alleged that he had been “forced” into the decision under pressure from the BJP and termed the development a “betrayal of the people”.

Talking to reporters here, Tejashwi Yadav said the RJD sympathised with Nitish Kumar and claimed that circumstances had compelled him to step aside.

“Nitish Kumar is going to the Rajya Sabha, and we fully sympathise with him. We are aware of what has been happening and what he has been going through. If we had been there, perhaps Nitish would not have had to face this situation,” he said.

The former Deputy Chief Minister alleged that a “complete conspiracy” was hatched during the Bihar Assembly elections and claimed that money power and the administrative machinery were misused.

“When the elections were held in Bihar, a complete conspiracy was hatched. In the way money power was used and the entire system was deployed, we fought the election against the whole system,” he said.

“We had said at that time as well that they would implement the Maharashtra model in a more refined manner in Bihar,” he said, alleging a larger political design behind the development.

Tejashwi Yadav further alleged that the Chief Minister had been “hijacked”, asserting that any BJP-backed Chief Minister would merely function as a “rubber stamp”.

“We have been saying from the beginning that the Chief Minister has been hijacked, and now this has been proven. Whoever becomes the BJP’s Chief Minister will just be a rubber stamp. But this is a betrayal of the people,” he said, referring to the slogan raised during the Assembly polls — “From 2025 to 2030, once again Nitish.”

Using a metaphor to describe the situation, the RJD leader said: “Nitish ji has been made to mount the horse like a groom, but the wedding vows will be taken with someone else.”

“The BJP has created so much pressure and is mentally harassing Nitish Kumar to such an extent that he has been forced to resign on his own,” he alleged.

Targeting the BJP, Tejashwi Yadav accused the party of weakening its allies across states, citing examples of regional parties in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.

“Wherever the BJP has been in alliance, it first works to finish off its own allied parties — be it the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, the Akali Dal, Mehbooba’s party (PDP), Chautala’s party (INLD). From north to south, east to west, the BJP wants to fully implement the RSS agenda,” he claimed.

–IANS