India
pti-PTI
Tejashwi
Yadav,
the
younger
son
of
RJD’s
founding
president
Lalu
Prasad,
had
steered
the
‘Mahagathbandhan’ which
then
did
not
have
the
chief
minister
on
its
side,
to
an
impressive
electoral
performance
in
2020
assembly
polls.
Patna,
Dec
13:
Bihar
Chief
Minister
Nitish
Kumar
on
Tuesday
dropped
further
hints
that
he
was
looking
forward
to
passing
on
the
mantle
to
his
young
deputy
Tejashwi
Yadav,
leaders
emerging
from
a
meeting
of
legislators
of
the
ruling
‘Mahagathbandhan’ said.
The
septuagenarian
JD(U)
supremo,
once
again,
ruled
himself
out
as
a
prime
ministerial
candidate
for
the
next
Lok
Sabha
polls
even
as
he
maintained
that
a
“united
opposition” could
defeat
the
Narendra
Modi-led
BJP
in
2024.
“The
chief
minister
pointed
towards
Tejashwi
ji
and
said
he
is
the
leader
of
the
future,
under
whose
leadership
the
2025
assembly
polls
in
the
state
would
be
fought,” said
Mahboob
Alam,
the
legislature
party
leader
of
the
CPI(ML)
Liberation
which
supports
the
government
from
outside.
He
also
said
“we
are
of
the
view
that
it
will
benefit
the
grand
alliance
which
is
fighting
the
communal
forces
represented
by
the
BJP.
Tejashwi
ji
is
a
young
and
energetic
leader”.
Notably,
Yadav,
the
younger
son
of
RJD’s
founding
president
Lalu
Prasad,
had
steered
the
‘Mahagathbandhan’,
which
then
did
not
have
the
chief
minister
on
its
side,
to
an
impressive
electoral
performance
in
2020
assembly
polls
in
which
the
NDA
could
barely
scrape
through.
After
dumping
the
BJP
in
August
this
year,
Kumar,
whose
love-hate
relationship
with
Lalu
Prasad
is
the
stuff
of
legend,
had
been
asserting
that
he
was
done
with
the
long
association
that
he
has
had
with
the
saffron
party.
“The
chief
minister
has
been
saying,
for
quite
a
while,
that
the
future
belongs
to
Tejashwi
ji
and
youngsters
like
him.
He
had
said
so
yesterday
in
Nalanda
where
I,
too,
was
present.
He
said
it
again
today,”
said
Vijay
Kumar
Chaudhary,
one
of
the
closest
aides
of
Kumar,
who
also
holds
key
portfolios
in
the
state
cabinet.
Chaudhary
was
referring
to
Kumar’s
speech
on
the
previous
day
when
the
latter
had
inaugurated
a
dental
hospital
in
his
home
district
and
spoken
about
backing
Tejashwi
Yadav.
Yadav,
however,
showed
characteristic
composure
when
approached
for
comments
by
journalists.
“At
present,
we
are
running
the
government
together.
And
we
need
to
concentrate
on
the
principal
challenge
before
us,
and
that
is
the
2024
Lok
Sabha
polls,”
said
Yadav.
Chaudhary
also
said
that
at
the
legislators’ meet,
Kumar
“made
it
clear
again
that
he
was
not
in
the
race
for
prime
ministership.
But
he
still
feels
the
BJP
can
be
defeated
in
2024
if
the
opposition
stands
united.
And
he
will
continue
to
work
in
that
direction”.
Meanwhile,
the
BJP,
which
has
been
sore
over
the
loss
of
power
it
suffered
as
a
result
of
the
upheaval
in
August
this
year,
sought
to
drive
a
wedge
between
Kumar
and
the
RJD.
“If
Nitish
Kumar
wants
to
make
someone
his
successor,
he
should
show
the
moral
courage
to
actually
hand
over
power.
He
will
not
be
able
to
do
so
because
it
would
lead
to
a
revolt
in
the
JD(U).
His
party
men
are
already
upset
over
Tejashwi
running
the
show
through
remote
control,”
said
Nitin
Nabin,
BJP
MLA
and
former
minister.
Another
former
BJP
minister
Jibesh
Kumar
raked
up
the
installation
as
CM
of
Jitan
Ram
Manjhi,
and
unceremonious
removal
thereafter,
by
Kumar
and
asserted,
“Nitish
Kumar
is
not
someone
who
can
stay
without
power.
He
is
only
hoodwinking
Tejashwi.
Take
it
from
me
in
writing.”