Tejaswi is clearly regarded as the heir apparent to RJD Chief Lalu Yadav. He will lose the post of deputy chief minister once CBI charge sheets him in the case, a political analyst averred. It is up to Tejaswi whether he tenders his resignation on his own or Chief Minister Nitish Kumar drops him from his cabinet once the CBI files charge sheet against him in the case...
The position of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav has become shaky after CBI booked RJD Chief Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and also him in a case related to awarding of an IRCTC tender to a private company in 2006. This might also affect the Maha Gathbandhan in Bihar. In a sense, it’s the beginning of political uncertainty in the state of Bihar.
Tejaswi is clearly regarded as the heir apparent to RJD Chief Lalu Yadav. He will lose the post of deputy chief minister once CBI charge sheets him in the case, a political analyst averred. It is up to Tejaswi whether he tenders his resignation on his own or Chief Minister Nitish Kumar drops him from his cabinet once the CBI files charge sheet against him in the case, he added.
It is understood that CBI would not take much time in filing a charge sheet, as it has reportedly ample evidence to file the charge sheet against him in the court.
How will Nitish Kumar handle the situation is the big question. It is known that Nitish has publicly said several times that he will have zero tolerance for corruption by anybody in his government. Even if there would be no threat to the grand alliance government if Tejaswi loses his post, it would have a serious bearing on RJD as the party Chief Lalu Prasad himself is facing the danger of being convicted and jailed in yet another case of the multi crore fodder scam.
Tejaswi, who is grooming himself as a ‘suave and no-nonsense’ politician, has already started taking a grip over his party`s affairs but if he has to really lose his job as minister, it would be a major setback not only to his personal image but also to the future of RJD, which revolves around the Lalu family.
But going by Chief Minister Mr Kumar`s penchant for personal image, it would be difficult for him to carry on a ‘tainted’ Minister in his cabinet if Tejaswi is really convicted in the case.
The Opposition has also started mounting pressure on Mr Kumar to dismiss Tejaswi from the state cabinet after the CBI had lodged the FIR against him in the case.
There are also precedents when Mr Kumar had dropped ministers from his cabinet after it was disclosed that they were allegedly involved in corruption cases.
Jeetan Ram Manji was dropped from the cabinet unceremoniously within hours of his swearing-in during 2005 for his alleged involvement in a merit scam case. He was later exonerated of the charges and re-inducted into the cabinet.
Mr Manjhi, who is presently chief of Hindustan Awami Morcha (HAM), a constituent of NDA, was also the former state chief minister when Mr Kumar had given him the top post after JD(U) performed badly in 2014 Lok Sabha election.
Similarly, Bihar Transport Minister Ramanand Singh had resigned in May 2008 after it came to light that he had been charge sheeted in a corruption case. Singh was charge sheeted by the state Vigilance Department in 1991.
