Sadhu Yadav plans to do a Kejriwal in Bihar polls

It seems Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) founder Arvind Kejriwal has a new fan in Sadhu Yadav. Taking inspiration from Kejriwal, the estranged brother -in-law of Lalu Prasad is all set to form the third front comprising smaller outfits ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls.

"When Arvind Kejriwal can eliminate big parties like Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi Assembly polls in just nine months, why can't such a thing happen in Bihar as well?" Sadhu said. The former Gopalganj MP, who had recently floated his own party christened as Garib Janata Dal-Secular to contest the Bihar polls, claimed that the governments of both Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar were not concerned about the welfare of the poor.

"Both the leaders are busy in image-building theatrics by displaying their posters and hoardings," he said, adding, "It does not make any difference to them whether

the poor stay alive or die." Hitting out at Modi for the first time, Sadhu said, "The poor people of Bihar were hoping that the prime minister would announce some sops for them during his rally in Gaya on Sunday but they had to return empty-handed just the way they did after his Muzaffarpur rally last month."

Sadhu also spewed venom on Nitish for his lackadaisical attitude towards the poor, "The poor are running from pillar to post to get the government coupons for ration and kerosene but Nitish was engaged in putting up huge posters and hoardings claiming that Bihar was progressing fast."

Rising crime rates

Questioning the chief minister on various schemes and the growing crime in the state, Sadhu said, "How many people have got houses under the Indira Awas scheme? There has been no development.

The crime graph in the state has also risen sharply but Nitish is talking about progress. But the people will not let them cheat anymore."

Sadhu, who was known as a parallel power centre during the 15-year-long RJD regime in the state, said that a third front would soon be announced to provide a viable alternate to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the grand secular alliance of Nitish and Lalu.

"The third front will be strong alternative for the people who are fed with both the alliances. No government will be formed in Bihar without the third front, " he said.

The controversial brother of former chief minister Rabri Devi held a meeting in Patna with former union minister Nagmani, former BJP MP Capt Jai Narain Prasad Nishad and other likeminded leaders to finalise the formation of the third front.

No other option Sadhu had joined the Congress shortly before the 2009 Lok Sabha polls after Lalu declined to give him the party ticket of his choice. He went to meet Modi in Gandhinagar before the 2014 general elections hoping to join the BJP but the Bihar BJP leaders opposed his induction.

He thereafter hobnobbed with Jitan Ram Manjhi for some time in his bid to find another platform but the former Chief minister's tie-up with the BJP forced him to float his own party.