PATNA, June 18: Observing that the days of the JD(U) government were numbered after ‘divorce’ from the NDA, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today said that his 22 MLAs would vote against the government in tomorrow’s trust vote.
“My party will definitely vote against the Nitish Kumar government during the trust vote in the legislative Assembly tomorrow,” he told reporters.
On the possibility of the JD(U) attacking the RJD for voting against the ‘secular’ government, Prasad said that he was least bothered and pointed out his party’s decision to vote against the JD(U) government was on a firm ideological ground and commitment to the people.
“It does not matter to me that the BJP will vote against the JD(U) government…Ours is an independent decision which has nothing to do with the stand of the saffron party,” the RJD supremo clarified.
Prasad, who had launched a ‘Parivartan Yatra’ against the NDA government and held an impressive public meeting in Patna last month, said that he had been vindicated for asserting that the Nitish Kumar government’s days in power were numbered due to arrogance of the chief minister and a host of other reasons.
“The JD(U) government may not go as it has mustered support of the four independent MLAs and the Congress MLAs (4) may bail it out during the trust vote tomorrow, but the beginning of the end of this government has well and truly begun,” he claimed.
On Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s praise of Nitish Kumar as a ‘secular’ leader after parting ways with the NDA two days ago, Prasad sought to downplay the development, saying that Singh is a gentleman who says kind words about anyone.
“I will not pass judgement on the PM’s ‘secular’ praise to the chief minister,” he said.
To a question that the JD(U) may try to poach his MLAs to garner majority in the state Assembly, the RJD supremo said that he was very much sure that all attempt to woo his legislators will fail as no one would like to jump on a sinking ship.
Prasad said he could not rule out a split in the JD(U) in two to three months as many ruling party MLAs were nursing grievance against Nitish Kumar for ill-treating them and effecting the split from the BJP so that they could not win the next Assembly polls with the help of BJP cadres.
Barely concealing his glee at the workers of former allies JD(U) and BJP turning into enemies now, Prasad said that he was enjoying the ‘ramlila’ act.
Prasad condemned clashes between JD(U) and BJP workers during today’s bandh in Patna in which several persons suffered injuries and slammed the chief minister for failing to deploy adequate security.
“Is the clash between the JD(U) and BJP workers not reflection of prevalence of ‘jungle raj’ in Bihar?” he said in an apparent reference to similar accusations being made against the previous government led by him. (PTI)
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