In less than 24 hours, Bihar witnessed a political turmoil where a ‘Mahagathbandhan’ broke and another came into place, not entirely surprisingly.
Late on Wednesday evening, Nitish Kumar resigned as the Bihar Chief Minister citing differences with Lalu Prasad’s son, Tejashwi Yadav, over corruption charges on him. As soon as he resigned, there were whispers of him joining hands with the BJP. By late night it had become official: Nitish Kumar had dumped the Mahagathbandhan with RJD and Congress and joined hands with the BJP. On Thursday morning, Nitish was sworn in as CM again. For the sixth time.
Amid all this, political leaders and their parties had quite a few things to say. Have a look at who said what about Bihar’s current scenario:
Tejashwi called Nitish “opportunistic.”
I entered in govt with a clean slate with a keen desire of writing a positive story for people of Bihar, only to find an opportunist rival!
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) July 27, 2017
Past baggage, though unjustified, didn’t perturb me when I was entrusted to carry the expectations of people’s mandate, in the role of DyCM!
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) July 27, 2017
Papa Lalu Prasad Yadav questioned Nitish’s newfound morality
हमारे ऊपर भ्रष्टाचार के तथाकथित आरोप पहले से ही थे। क्या गठबंधन करते और सरकार बनाते वक़्त नीतीश कुमार नहीं जानते थे?
— Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) July 26, 2017
The Congress Party, so far in alliance with Nitish, now called him opportunistic
बिहार ने नितीशजी को anti communal लड़ाई लड़ने के लिए mandate दी, लेकिन नितीशजी अपनी personal politics के लिए उन्हीं लोगों से गले लग गए
— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 27, 2017
अपने स्वार्थ के लिए आदमी कुछ भी कर जाता है- कोई नियम नहीं है, कोई credibility नहीं है, सत्ता के लिए कुछ भी कर देते हैं
— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 27, 2017
Nitish Kumar has proved his detractors right about his lack of commitment to any ideology. He is a rank political opportunist. pic.twitter.com/xcSXBhQj9n
— INC India (@INCIndia) July 27, 2017
Congress leader Digvijai Singh taunted Nitish
किसी ने बशीर बद्र का शेर मौक़े पर याद दिलाया है –
“उसी को हक़ है जीने का इस ज़माने में,जो इधर का दिखता रहे और उधर का हो जाए!”-Om Thanvi— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) July 27, 2017
Aam Aadmi Party jumped in the fray and criticised the big political change
आज देश की राजनीति के सामने बड़ा सवाल है कि नेता अपना व अपनी पार्टी का भविष्य बचाएं या देश का…. किसी एक को तो दांव पर लगाना हो होगा।
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) July 26, 2017
Power is okay, and stupidity is usually harmless. Power and stupidity together are dangerous”. #NitishGharWapsi @NitishKumar
— Amanatullah Khan AAP (@KhanAmanatullah) July 27, 2017
BJP’s rival Samajwadi Party too took digs at Nitish
ना ना करते, प्यार तुम्हीं से कर बैठे
करना था इंकार मगर इक़रार तुम्हीं से कर बैठेBihar Today— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) July 27, 2017
AIMIM chief called the drama scripted
One of the few people who had seen the script that was being made https://t.co/uTcMKdUPGd
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) July 26, 2017
Badalta hain rang asmaan kaise kaise https://t.co/pKbUgelZe1
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) July 26, 2017
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister and a vocal critic of BJP, is likely to attend RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s ‘BJP bhagao, desh bachao’ rally on August 27. While Banerjee hasn’t commented on Kumar’s patch up with BJP, The Indian Express reported that she will attend to rally to “show solidarity with the anti-BJP movement.”
Amid all this, the pone party smiling wide was of course the BJP, Nitish’s new political ally in Bihar
It started with PM Narendra Modi congratulating Nitish for his ‘stand against corruption’
भ्रष्टाचार के ख़िलाफ़ लड़ाई में जुड़ने के लिए नीतीश कुमार जी को बहुत-बहुत बधाई।
सवा सौ करोड़ नागरिक ईमानदारी का स्वागत और समर्थन कर रहे हैं— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 26, 2017
देश के, विशेष रूप से बिहार के उज्जवल भविष्य के लिए राजनीतिक मतभेदों से ऊपर उठकर भ्रष्टाचार के ख़िलाफ़ एक होकर लड़ना,आज देश और समय की माँग है
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 26, 2017
To which Nitish replied:
हमने जो निर्णय लिया उसपर माननीय प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi के ट्वीट के द्वारा दी गई प्रतिक्रिया के लिए उन्हें तहेदिल से धन्यवाद.
— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) July 26, 2017
नीतीश कुमार ने लालू की बेनामी सम्पत्ति और करप्शन के मुद्दे पर घुटना नहीं टेका और इस्तीफ़ा दे दिया । अभिनंदन है !
— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) July 26, 2017
(Feature image source: PTI)
