Friends with benefits: How Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav ironed out their differences

In Bihar politics, friends turn foes, and foes turn friends in a matter of months. Nitish Kumar is the master of switching sides, earning the title of Paltu Ram .

He has now dumped the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and announced a Grand Alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress, and four smaller regional parties. As he takes oath as chief minister for the eighth time, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav will be his deputy.

In 2017, Kumar walked out of the Mahagathbandhan over corruption charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi.

“It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t take a stand, I don’t do politics of this kind,” Kumar had said back then. “I felt suffocated, my conscience pricked me… there was no other way.” He did not call out the Yadavs but it was amply clear.

Also read: Bihar fiasco: BJP has forgotten to act like a ruling party, needs a crash course on coalition politics

Five years on, the corrupting charges remain – in fact they have deepened. Lalu Prasad is convicted in five fodder scam cases, with four convictions since July 2017. He spent a large part of the last few years in prison before getting bail last year.

But Nitish Kumar now has a change of heart. The JD(U) boss reportedly told Tejashwi on Tuesday after resigning as chief minister, “Let us forget what happened in 2017 and begin a new chapter.”

The veteran leader and his 32-year-old deputy were seen walking together shortly after meeting with Governor Phagu Chauhan. All seemed well but Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi have worked hard toward ironing out differences. We take a look at how the ties were renewed.

Bonding and apologising at iftar parties

Kumar’s decision to quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and join hands with the RJD did not come as a shocker. It was in the making for months.

Kumar and Tejashwi, the Leader of the Opposition, sent tongues wagging of a possible tie-up went they were seen together at iftar parties in April, twice in a week. The JD(U) leader walked from his official residence to the 10 Circular Road home of former chief minister Rabri Devi to attend an event hosted by Tejashwi.

Kumar had insisted that his presence at RJD’s iftar party should not be linked with politics. However, his decision to walk in the presence of the media was a signal to the BJP and a sign that not all was well with the alliance in Bihar.

In response, the RJD leader attended an iftar party hosted by JD(U)’s minority cell president Salim Parvej. Kumar walked Tejashwi to the gate as a gesture of respect.

Interestingly, at another iftar party three years ago had apologised to Rabri Devi. “Maaf kijiyega (Forgive me),” he had reportedly said, very quickly realising that joining hands with the BJP was not a good idea, sources told NDTV.

Silence on corruption

Kumar, who took the anti-corruption stand in 2017 to protect his “Mr Clean” image, was mum when a new corruption case was registered against Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi and other family members in May this year.

The CBI conducted raids at locations linked to the RJD patriarch over alleged irregularities in recruitment between 2004 and 2009 when he was the railway minister.

But Kumar’s party did not use it as an opportunity to hit out at the Opposition. According to reports in the media, JD(U) leaders were instructed not to slam the RJD, as the rift with their then-ally BJP was widening.

Kumar and the party’s stand was seen as their growing closeness with Tejashwi.

Reaching out to Lalu

Nitish Kumar and Lalu’s see-saw relationship has come a full circle. The two leaders were students when they took part in Jayprakash Narayan’s agitation in 1974.

In 1990, when the Janata Dal swept the polls and Lalu became chief minister, Kumar was part of the core committee. But four years on, he revolted and quit the party. In 1997, Lalu broke away from Janata Dal and formed the RJD.

In their political careers spanning more than 25 years, the two have broken up and come together several times. After parting ways in 2017, they are now ‘friends again’.

In July, Kumar visited the RJD chief at a hospital in Patna. Lalu, who was suffering from several fractures, was to be airlifted to Delhi’s AIIMS hospital. The JD(U) leader reportedly supervised all arrangements to shift his old ally from Patna to the national capital.

Caste census and other policies

The BJP and the JD(U) were at loggerheads over the caste census. In September 2021, the Centre said that it would not be conducting a caste census upsetting leaders in Bihar.

However, Nitish Kumar renewed the call for the caste-based census in the state and in June this year, his Cabinet cleared a proposal to conduct the census in Bihar. Amid the tension with the BJP, Tejashwi was Kumar’s big backer. As the two leaders closed rank on the subject, they almost isolated the saffron party.

Over the past months, the RJD was careful not the attack the Nitish Kumar-led government. When Tejashwi’s party recently held a protest against price rise, security arrangements were made to ensure that the agitation covered important roads, reports NDTV. This was seen as a sign of support from the JD(U).

Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav have developed an unusual bonhomie. For now, they seem to have each other’s back. It remains to be seen how long this friendship lasts.

With inputs from agencies

Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .