Manoj Chaurasia in Patna
Amidst the mounting pressure by his
rivals to make him an accused in the multi-crore fodder scam, Bihar chief
minister Nitish Kumar offered to call a truce with his political
adversary, Mr Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, and is
holding meetings with the rebel party leader at intervals. Mr Singh, a powerful
leader from the upper caste Bhumihar community was among the four
JD-U MPs who were suspended from the party for “anti-party
activities” in March last year.
Mr Singh, who represents
Munger in Lok Sabha, was one of the petitioners in the
fodder-scam cases which eventually led to the unceremonious exit of former
chief minister and RJD chief, Mr Lalu Prasad, who also had to go
to jail.
In the past one month, both the
leaders have met twice at the chief minister’s official residence in
Patna, fuelling various speculations in the political circles. Last Sunday
again, the chief minister had invited the rebel party leader to his official
residence during which both of them remained closeted in a room for about three
hours.
Although it is still not known about
what transpired between the two leaders then, sources said some “vital” issues
were discussed. One of the matters was probably Mr Singh’s suspension from the party
which could be withdrawn very soon given the prevailing political compulsions.
Mr Singh, on his part, showed enough
warmth for his rival when he supported Mr Kumar’s yatra to seek special a
category status for Bihar to be started later this week.
While Mr Singh, after staying away
from the political limelight and marginalised within his own party ~ that too
by his once “langotia yaar-turned-bitter enemy ~ want to restore his lost
glory and his hold on his constituency with the talks of mid-term polls in the
air, the Bihar chief minister has faced some trouble with his political
rivals constantly filing petitions at Ranchi High Court.
On 7 September, a petition was filed
by Mr Mithilesh Kumar Singh, a social worker, at the CBI court in
Ranchi to make the Bihar chief minister an accused in the fodder
scam. In his petition, the petitioner claimed there was enough evidence
pointing towards the involvement of the Bihar chief minister in the scam. He
had earlier filed a similar plea in the CBI court which was rejected.
Subsequently, he moved Jharkhand High Court which asked him to approach
the CBI court.
Media reports said the CBI court
has admitted the petition of Mr Singh, seeking to make the Bihar chief
minister and another party MP, Mr Shivanand Tiwari, accused in
the fodder scam. The court has fixed the next date of hearing for 25 September.
The petitioner’s counsel, Mr
Bhola Nath Jha, has told the Press that the petition sought the
inclusion of the Bihar chief minister and Mr Tiwary as accused in fodder
scam cases. “The petitioner has submitted that there are sufficient
evidences which point at both Mr Kumar, who was then a
Janata Dal MLA, and Mr Tiwary having received Rs 1 crore
and Rs 60 lakh, respectively from the then regional director of the animal
husbandry department and kingpin of the scam SB Sinha”.
Reports further said the
RJD chief, too, is preparing to submit a petition from his side in this
regard. All these developments have virtually robbed off the sleep of the
Bihar chief minister who now looks to be trying hard to get the support of
all those, even his rivals, who were even remotely connected with the fodder
scam. The JD-U sources, though, denied Mr Kumar’s bonhomie with the rebel
party leader had anything to so with Mr Kumar’s impending problems.
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