Hidden agenda: Tejashwi on ex-Union minister RCP Singh merging party with Jan Suraaj
Patna: The merger of former Union Minister RCP Singh’s party with Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has stirred the political pot in Bihar, with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav claiming a hidden agenda behind the move.
The development comes ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, with political realignments gaining pace.
RCP Singh, a former close aide of CM Nitish Kumar and ex-National President of Janata Dal (United), had floated his party after parting ways with JD(U).
However, on Sunday, he merged his party with Jan Suraaj, founded by political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor.
Reacting to this new alliance, Tejashwi didn’t take names but dropped strong hints that the BJP could be “orchestrating” the development behind the scenes.
“Both of them were in JD(U), one a national vice president, the other a national president. Who is getting all this done and how it is happening, people of Bihar know everything,” Tejashwi said while interacting with the media persons in Patna.
Tejashwi added, “If two rebels of JD(U) have come together, then everyone understands whose game this is. We don’t need to say much. People are watching everything.”
Kishor and Singh alleged that contractors have “hijacked” the JD(U).
Kishor called on JD(U) workers to desert the “sinking ship”, claiming that it was being run by “five contractors” rather than seasoned politicians.
The Jan Suraaj Party founder alleged that contractors with no political background make key decisions in the JD(U) and the state government.
“Nitish Kumar neither runs the party nor the government. Ask the five people running JD(U) to name even a district president of their party – they won’t be able to answer,” he claimed.
Tejashwi Yadav also took a jab at CM Nitish over his recent remark that there was nothing in Bihar before 2005.
In response, Tejashwi said, “2005 has frozen in Nitish Kumar’s mind. Before that, the voices of the people were heard, and bureaucracy didn’t dominate. Retired chief ministers and officers didn’t run Bihar.”
He added that international agencies like the United Nations had praised the work done in Bihar before 2005.