Bihar coalition should remain intact: Sharad Yadav

NEW DELHI: JDU Parliamentary Party leader Sharad Yadav has said “the Bihar coalition should remain intact” as it “must respect the people’s mandate” it represents.

“The Bihar coalition represents the people’s mandate and everybody should respect the people’s mandate. Therefore, the Bihar coalition should remain intact,” Yadav told ET on Tuesday. Asked about the stand-off over his party president and chief minister Nitish Kumar’s reported demand that deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav quit in view of an FIR against him in an alleged corruption case, Yadav reiterated, “the Bihar coalition must remain intact and I hope it will remain intact.”

He refused to divulge any details on how the crisis was being handled by stake-holders.

Coalition insiders said that Tejashwi visited Kumar on Tuesday to explain what he thought about the case against him, followed by hectic negotiations of senior leaders of JDU, RJD and Congress. Many of them are keen to ensure the stability of coalition. JDU circles in Delhi are labouring hard to dismiss the buzz about “differences within” the party on the future course.

The Congress central leadership is uncomfortable about Kumar seeking Tejashwi’s resignation.

Congress leaders privately say Kumar’s demand could gift BJP a plank to target it by questioning Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh continuing in office despite a CBI case. The RJD-Congress also pointed out Kumar remained a minister in the Vajpayee government even though very senior ministers had a CBI case connected to demolition of the Babri Masjid. They are also evaluating how Mayawati’s resignation from Parliament would give a new dimension to the Dalit issue in Bihar, with Lalu Prasad reportedly working to establish closer political ties with the BSP.