The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on March 2 hailed the disqualification of six Congress MLAs in Himachal Pradesh who had recently crossed over to the BJP and expressed hope that similar action will be taken against “turncoats” in Bihar.
RJD national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha, whose party has lost five of its MLAs to the State's ruling NDA, made a statement to the effect at a press conference.
"The defectors do not make up for two-thirds of the party's total strength in the Bihar Assembly. Their membership of the House, hence, cannot be sustained," asserted the RJD leader, whose party had 79 MLAs until legislators began walking over to the ruling side in phases.
"Turncoats in Himachal Pradesh have been disqualified on the grounds that exist in Bihar too. We urge the Speaker here to take note and take appropriate action. If he does not, we will take legal recourse," Mr. Jha said.
In a veiled attack on the ruling BJP at the Centre, the RJD spokesperson alleged, "Gujarati moneybags have been let loose to inflict psychological damage on our leader Tejashwi Yadav in whom the unemployed youth of Bihar see a ray of hope."
Mr. Jha also said that "all leaders of the Mahagathbandhan" in Bihar, including former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, were likely to attend Sunday's rally in Patna, but in response to a pointed query, added, "We have not specially invited any leader. The Congress, which is our ally, says Rahul Gandhi is coming. We take them at their word."
The RJD leader, when asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bihar, alleged that "he is going to inaugurate many projects but one of these is a road which is far from complete".
He also said, "We hope that while addressing the public in Bihar, the PM will not say anything that is unbecoming of a man holding the top post." He parried questions about Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who recently dumped the RJD, stripping it of power, and formed a new government with BJP, sharing the stage with PM in Aurangabad and Begusarai districts.
"As the Chief Minister, it is his discretion as to with whom he shall share the dais. Our leader Tejashwi Yadav has set an example by not uttering a word of bitterness against the CM, or even our own MLAs who have deserted us," Mr. Jha added.
