Lalu And Tejashwi Yadav Hit Back On Nitish Kumar Rejecting RJD Alliance

On 6 September 2024, while attending a public event alongside Union Health Minister JP Nadda, Nitish Kumar dismissed speculation about reuniting with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). He stated he had "made a mistake twice" by aligning with them and would not repeat it.

"I made the mistake of going with them (RJD) twice. Now I will not go anywhere. We (NDA) have been together since 1995, whereas they (RJD) did not do any work," Kumar said.

His remarks came after meeting Tejashwi Yadav at the secretariat, which triggered rumours of a possible alliance shift.

Tejashwi Yadav responded with sharp criticism, accusing Kumar of apologising to RJD MLAs with folded hands, and seeking their support in the past.

"When he came to our house, he was folding his hands and asking for forgiveness. He had asked for forgiveness in front of all the MLAs," Yadav claimed, dismissing the possibility of any future collaboration with Kumar and labelling him as untrustworthy.

Following Tejashwi's remarks, Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) leaders quickly retaliated. Spokesperson Neeraj Kumar accused Tejashwi of distorting facts, pointing out that Lalu Prasad Yadav had reached out to Nitish Kumar before the 2015 Assembly election.

Kumar said, "The father was in the dark, and now the son has become a powerhouse," referring to Tejashwi’s claims and accusing him of preaching to others while ignoring his party's past failures.

JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan added that Nitish Kumar was not someone who begged for political survival, reminding Tejashwi that Kumar helped revive the RJD in 2015 after the party had been reduced to just 22 seats in the 2010 Assembly elections.

He accused Tejashwi of being ungrateful and desperate as the 2025 elections draw near.

Meanwhile, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav also commented on the matter. Speaking to the press before his trip to Mumbai, Lalu brushed off the idea of Nitish Kumar returning to the RJD. "If he doesn’t want to come, let him not come. It’s fine," Lalu said, indicating that the RJD had no interest in welcoming Kumar back into the fold.

He also reiterated Tejashwi’s stance, stating that Nitish had apologised in the past, but the door for future alliances is now firmly closed.