Nitish alerts ruling alliance legislators against ‘BJP bid’

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday asked the legislators of the ruling alliance, the Mahagathbandhan (MGB), to stay united and foil the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) attempts to poach legislators and destabilise the government.

Addressing a customary meeting of the MGB legislators after the inaugural sitting of Monsoon session of the state legislature at the Central hall, the CM alleged that the democracy was in danger and attempts were being made by the BJP dispensation at the Centre to fan hatred to divert people’s attention from the core issues.

The five-day session of the state legislature commenced today with customary address of speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary in the legislative assembly and chairman Devesh Chandra Thakur in the legislative council.

Taking exception to RJD MLC Sunil Singh’s recent media outburst against him, the CM accused him of hobnobbing with Union home minister Amit Shah to switch over his loyalty. CM Kumar wondered why Singh was planning to move over, even though he was made the RJD chief whip in the legislative council.

Singh, however, countered the CM, asking him to show the proof, which promoted the deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to walk up to Singh’s seat to broker peace.

Some of the leaders present in the meeting said that the CM also mentioned Singh’s Facebook post in which he was seen presenting a shawl to Union minister Amit Shah at a function in New Delhi last month.

Singh had recently attacked the CM over the tussle between education minister Chandrashekhar and additional chief secretary (education) KK Pathak, claiming that Kumar had lost his control over bureaucracy.

Kumar also asked the ruling alliance leaders to desist from raking up issues within the coalition or against the government publicly. “If you have any grievances with the government or the coalition, talk to your leaders for resolution,” the CM said, claiming that BJP leaders had been trying to woo away the legislators of ruling coalition, including the Congress.

Without naming former CM and Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, Kumar said he allowed him to walk out of the MGB as he was spying for the BJP despite remaining in the ruling coalition. “I knew he was in touch with Union home minister Amit Shah, hence he was not invited to participate in the Opposition unity meeting held in Patna on June 23,” the CM said.

Almost all the MLAs and MLCs of the ruling coalition, including RJD, JD(U), Congress and Left parties, attended the meeting.