look news india
In Bihar politics, the relationship between ‘elder brother’ Lalu Prasad Yadav and ‘younger brother’ Nitish Kumar has always been full of ups and downs like a political thriller film. This period of friendship and enmity between the two leaders has been going on for decades, but during the year 2016, there came a period in the corridors of power of Bihar when the talks between the two top leaders had completely stopped. In the then Grand Alliance government, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had become so angry that he had distanced himself from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and even stopped picking up his phone. When Lalu Yadav felt that this anger of his younger brother could become a threat to his government and the political future of his son Tejashwi Yadav, he used the holy occasion of Vijayadashami i.e. Dussehra as a big weapon. Let us know in depth from the perspective of a political reporter what had happened at that time due to which the conversation between the two had stopped and how there was an uproar in politics as soon as the phone rang on the day of Dussehra.
This entire controversy and tension started when Siwan’s powerful leader and former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin was released from jail after getting bail from the court. As soon as he came out of jail, Shahabuddin had openly said that his real leader is only Lalu Prasad Yadav, while Nitish Kumar is just the ‘Chief Minister of circumstances’. For Nitish Kumar, known as Good Governance Babu, this statement was a direct attack on his constitutional authority and respect as a government head. Nitish Kumar became very angry. After this, when Shahabuddin had to surrender in the court again on 30 September 2016, he again made sharp remarks against Nitish Kumar. Hurt by the RJD camp’s failure to silence Shahabuddin, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar distanced himself from Lalu Yadav and the daily conversation between the two came to a complete halt.
After a long gap of 10 years, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family got a chance to return to power in Bihar. His younger son Tejashwi Yadav became MLA for the first time and was handling the important responsibility of Deputy Chief Minister of the state, while elder son Tej Pratap Yadav was also a cabinet minister. But this sharp attitude and silence of Nitish Kumar had created panic in the RJD camp. There was a strong discussion in the political circles that Nitish Kumar, furious with anger, can take any big political decision at any time and join hands with the NDA again. Lalu Yadav was constantly trying to contact Nitish Kumar to save his sons’ political career and power, but Nitish seemed to be in no mood to talk at any cost.
Lalu Yadav is considered a very old and experienced player of politics. When all doors for direct communication were closed, they resorted to religious and social festivals. It was the day of Vijayadashami (Dussehra). In Indian tradition, it is believed that on the day of Dussehra, any enmity or bitterness is forgotten and good wishes are given. Sensing the right opportunity, Lalu Yadav directly called the Chief Minister’s residence. Being the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami, Nitish Kumar picked up the phone out of decorum and Lalu Yadav congratulated him on Vijayadashami and resumed the conversation. Immediately after the conversation, Lalu Yadav came in front of the media and stated in a very calm manner that there is no difference of opinion between him and Nitish Kumar. However, when journalists asked that the CM residence is very close to your house, then why did you not go and congratulate him, then Lalu Yadav avoided this question.
On the surface, even though that one phone call on the day of Vijayadashami may have postponed the political crisis of that time for some time and the coalition government appeared to be functioning, but the reality was that Nitish Kumar had not forgotten that insult. ‘Sushasan Babu’ was not one of those leaders to compromise on his self-respect and was only waiting for the right opportunity. Finally, after about eight months, when serious allegations of corruption were made against Tejashwi Yadav and Lalu family in CBI and other cases, Nitish Kumar without any delay resigned from his post in July 2017. He broke ties with RJD and again formed the government with BJP. This incident proved that Lalu Yadav’s call on the day of Dussehra was useful, but it had completely failed to melt the ice of distrust in the mind of Nitish Kumar.