'Will have my support': Tej Pratap vows to support BJP's Samrat Choudhary as Bihar CM

Patna: Former Bihar minister Tej Pratap Yadav on Wednesday said senior BJP leader Samrat Choudhary would have his "support" if the latter became chief minister after JD(U) president Nitish Kumar's resignation.

Addressing a press conference here, Yadav, who floated the Janshakti Janata Dal after his expulsion from the RJD led by his father Lalu Prasad, took a dig at Nitish Kumar, saying, "He is fleeing to Delhi because his prohibition policy has failed."

"While in the RJD, I may have supported prohibition, but the fact remains that the ban on liquor has failed. Even women are involved in the illegal sale and consumption of alcohol. Realising this, Nitish is fleeing to Delhi and wishes to resign as CM," Yadav claimed.

Asked whether he thought Kumar's son Nishant Kumar could occupy the seat of power after his father, Yadav said, "He is too inexperienced for that. He may be elder to me, but the fact remains that experience counts in politics. We will see once he gains enough experience."

About Choudhary, currently a deputy chief minister, whose name is doing the rounds for the top job, Yadav said, "If he becomes the CM, it is fine. He will have my support." Yadav, who is not known to be on good terms with his younger brother Tejashwi, disapproved of the latter's social media campaign highlighting alleged failures of the ruling NDA.

"We have all been born and brought up in Bihar. We must always speak well of our home state, which may appear to be poor but is inhabited by people who are rich at heart," said Yadav.

When his attention was drawn to Tejashwi's recent elevation as the RJD's national working president, Yadav remarked in a lighter vein, "I am the national president of my party. If he is drawing inspiration from me, I have no objections."