Knives out in RJD: MLA demands Tejashwi's resignation

The simmering discontent in RJD has come to the fore following its rout in the Lok Sabha election with senior party legislator Maheshwar Prasad Yadav, on Monday, asking Tejashwi to resign from the post of Leader of Opposition to take moral responsibility for the drubbing.

Alleging that parivarwad (family politics) has cost the party most, Yadav, RJD MLA from Gaighat assembly constituency in Muzaffarpur district, claimed the party will break if his demand is not fulfilled.

As a party MLA, I would request Tejaswhi Yadav to resign from the post of LOP taking moral responsibility of the Lok Sabha poll debacle and appoint any other senior party leader hailing from a caste other than Yadav to the post of LOP, failing which the party will have to face crushing defeat in 2020 assembly elections, Yadav told reporters.

RJD is the second party of the five members Mahagathbandhan to face the heat of resounding defeat in the hands of NDA in Bihar. Except for one seat of Kisanganj won by the Congress, the BJP, JD(U) and LJP combine bagged 39 out of a total 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

Earlier, Upendra Kushwaha led RLSP's three legislators- two MLAs and one MLC- merged with the JD(U) on Sunday following the massive drubbings at the hustings.

Maheshwar Prasad Yadav warned the party leadership that legislature party will break if his demand is not fulfilled.

"If my demand (to appoint someone else as Leader of Opposition) is not fulfilled, then the legislature party will break as party's several legislators are with me," Yadav claimed.

Yadav said that he "has the support of large numbers of party MLAs as no one wants to board the sinking ship...but please, don't ask me the names and numbers at the moment," for whether he has the support of two-thirds of RJD legislature party to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law

The rebel MLA said that he would not participate in the two-day RJD meeting, scheduled to be held on May 28 and 29 to discuss the poll debacle, till his demand (Tejashwi resignation) is met.

Yadav, who has been seen in close company of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in the recent past, said Lalu Prasad's affection for his family "cost the party most" and the party (RJD) "would not have staged a comeback in the 2015 assembly polls, if RJD would not have stitched an alliance with Kumar's JD(U)."

"It was because of Kumar that RJD came to power in 2015 in the state," he said while adding "but the party Supremo again chose to anoint his both sons as Deputy CM and minister in Nitish Kumar led Grand Alliance government ignoring senior party leaders."

When Nitish Kumar parted his ways, RJD chief again foisted his son Tejashwi and wife Rabri Devi as LoP in lower and upper house respectively.

"I had opposed the party chiefs move to make Rabri Devi as the CM in 1997 and had suggested him to appoint any other senior leader of the party as CM but he ignored my opinion. There was a time when the party was reduced to 22 MLAs and 4 MPsBut the people in recently held general elections have thoroughly rejected RJD for carrying out 'parivarwad' politics," the MLA added.