Now, a ‘tea-seller’ Bihar BJP leader in CM race

Though Yadav insisted that former deputy CM and party’s legislature party leader Sushil Kumar Modi is “very much his leader”, it is the party’s “parliamentary board that will take final call on announcement of BJP CM candidate” for next year’s polls.

Yadav remarks came after Union Agriculture Minister and East Champaran MP Radha Mohan Singh suggested that the party will fight the Bihar elections under the leadership of Sushil Kumar Modi. Yadav, however, claimed Singh’s statement as “a personal opinion, not official announcement”.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the Leader of Opposition in Assembly said: “Leadership is a non-issue in our party. But it is party’s parliamentary board that makes announcement about CM candidate.” He, however, hastened to add that he was “not in the race”.

Asked if he considered Sushil Kumar Modi – the most obvious choice for the CM candidate – as his leader, Yadav said: “Sushilji is party’s legislature party leader and hence, my leader. There is no confusion over this. But what I want to drive home is how party goes about such matters. Election is still sometime way. The parliamentary board will take decision about leader at right time”.

Yadav also talked about his “tea vendor” background, but added he did not discuss it during Lok Sabha elections as people have been derided him for bringing himself in comparison with Narendra Modi.

“My grandfather Ramdas Yadav used to run a tea stall near Elphinston Cinema Hall near Gandhi Maidan of Patna. My grandfather handed over tea stall to my uncle Subhash Prasad Yadav, who was not able to make profit. I had just written by Intermediate science examination in 1971 and spent three months running the tea stall and made it a profitable venture,” said Yadav, who is official number two in the party after Sushil Kumar Modi.

BJP sources said Yadav had dropped his name at a time when there had been new political realignment with RJD and JD(U) coming together for 21 August Assembly bypolls.