Bihar NDA feels Nitish leadership defunct

Bihar NDA feels Nitish leadership defunct
ARUN SRIVASTAVA

PATNA, JULY 2: A section of senior NDA leaders have approached their Delhi bosses demanding a change in the state leadership.

They feel that the Bihar NDA, under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, has become defunct and has failed to launch any movement against the misgovernance of the RJD government.

Sources say state NDA leaders have conveyed their feelings to the Central leaders and requested them to intervene immediately. These leaders feel once Laloo Prasad's trial in the fodder scam begins after July 4, the political scene would change drastically. Then they would need a leader who can exploit the situation. Sources say Nitish Kumar has never been serious about strengthening NDA and after having become the agriculture minister, he cannot have enough time as well.

Even while Nitish Kumar's detractors were preparing ground for his ouster, RJD chief Laloo Prasad's charges against him of releasing Ram Vinay Sharma, the main accused of Parasbigha massacre on parole on March 3, have come to his rescue. With Laloo's charges against him, the NDA leadership was forced to rally behind him.

Laloo has charged Nitish of allowing Sharma to go on parole on March 3, the day he was sworn-in as the Chief Minister. The entire NDA, particularly the BJP leadership, took up his case and countered the charges. The BJP leader of Opposition Sushil Mody even alleged that Laloo had fabricated the charges. Mody said: ``the process for release of Sharma was initiated long before Nitish became the Chief Minister. It was cleared by the officers close to Laloo Prasad. Usually, parole requests are accompanied with reports from the police officials. On March 3, the day Nitish became the Chief Minister, senior officer Mukund Prasad, who has been Laloo's close confidante, moved the file and obtained his signature. Since the matter had been cleared by the lower levels, Nitish had no alternative but to put his signature. Nitish could not be held responsible for parole to Sharma.''

Interestingly, Sharma-- in an interview to a local language daily-- had refused to go back to jail. He said: ``In the past, I was granted parole on six occasions, but this time I am not going to come back. Let the state government use its forces to arrest me''. Sharma was granted parole for the his daughter's marriage which could not take place since the groom's parents refused to accept a criminal's daughter.

BJP spokesperson Kiran Ghai was furious with Laloo for contorting facts. She demanded a clarification as to why the Rabri Devi government did not trace out Sharma and arrest him. She charged Laloo of patronising Sharma.

Both the BJP leaders expressed their apprehensions about another massacre in the near future. Mody, while participating in the debate in Assembly, even revealed that Subhas and Sadhu Yadav, Laloo's brothers-in-law, had helped Sharma get parole earlier. He even charged Laloo of pressurising the officers for recommending Sharma's parole.

However, with this controversial issue been raised, Nitish Kumar has been given some respite and his detractors' move might be delayed for some time. Sources, meanwhile, reveal that undeterred by these developments, these leaders have been busy looking for a new person as the state NDA chief.