RJD boss Lalu Prasad’s younger son and Bihar’s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has asked the critics of Mahagathbandhan government to allow it to function for a few time before questioning its efficiency and intentions.
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The others were CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D. Raja, former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad, M.K. Stalin of DMK and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.
However, a day after taking oath as chief minister of Bihar for a third consecutive “full” term, Nitish Kumar has sought to rubbish those fears. JD(U) followed it by winning 71 seats while Congress won 27 and thus the grand-coalition made a total of 178 seats out of 243.
All eyes were, however, on the sons of Lalu’s son Tejashwi and Tej Pratap during the ceremony.
The opposition BJP which had launched a strong attack on RJD president and Tejaswi”s father, Lalu Prasad Yadav during the election campaign and suffered electorally because of it, also stayed away from attacking Tejaswi”.
Born in 1951 at Bakhtiyarpur in Patna district to an Ayurvedic physician and Congress leader, Nitish Kumar plunged into politics in the early 1970s at a time when Bihar was in ferment.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be attending the Nitish’s swearing in ceremony and has deputed Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Rajiv Pratap Rudy to represent the government at the ceremony.
The chief minister will look after home, general administration and information and public relations, highly placed sources in the Raj Bhawan said, adding that the list has been approved by the Governor Ram Nath Kovind. Tejaswi has also been allocated roads, building construction and the backward castes welfare departments, elder brother Tej Pratap was given the health, environment and minor irrigation portfolios.
Nitish Kumar reaches Gandhi Maidan.
The way Lalu favoured his sons as far as setting up the hierarchy within the government is concerned, has not gone down well with the senior leaders of the RJD if reports emanating from Patna are any indication.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also attended the event.
