RJD's Plan B if Nitish Kumar sacks Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav

As uncertainty over whether Deputy CM Tejashwi would step down or not continues, Lalu Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is ready with its Plan B.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar had on Tuesday gave the RJD a 4-day ultimatum to take a call on Tejashwi who has been named by the CBI in a corruption case. The deadline ends on Saturday (July 15).

While the Nitish's Janata Dal (United) wants the CM to remove Tejashwi from his cabinet, the RJD has come out in full support of its leader. With the bickering between the two parties showing refuses to end, the Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance, which also includes the Congress, is facing its toughest test yet.

Will the Grand Alliance break apart if Nitish decides to remove Tejashwi? As far as Lalu Yadav is concerned he would never like that to happen to allow the BJP an easy opportunity to take a shot to form the government in Bihar.

After the JD(U) asked him to come clean, Tejashwi had virtually ruled out his resignation , while dubbing the FIR registered against him under various anti-graft provisions as "political vendetta."

RJD'S PLAN B

Sources said the RJD is ready with its Plan B in case Tejashwi has to resign. According to the plan, all RJD ministers in Nitish cabinet would offer to resign in solidarity with Tejashwi. However, the RJD would keep supporting the alliance government to prevent the BJP from trying to return to power.

At a time when Lalu and family is facing fresh action from central agencies like the CBI and ED, the RJD can ill afford to be put of power in the state and hence it will keep supporting Nitish Kumar even if it has to make the prime sacrifice of Tejashwi's removal.

Interestingly, Nitish Kumar has maintained a silence over the issue so far allowing party spokespersons and veteran party leader Sharad Yadav to respond to the media. The CM also didn't react to the CBI raids on Lalu and his family over alleged benami property deals. Now, all eyes are on him whether he will walk the talk of leading a corruption-free government by removing Lalu's son.

In the 243-seat Bihar Assembly, the RJD has 80 seats, JD(U) 71 and the Congress 27. The BJP has 53 MLAs.

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