Patna:

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday claimed that he had helped Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar “twice retain his post, preventing the JD(U) from disintegration”.

The former deputy chief minister was replying to queries about the JD(U) president’s outburst inside the assembly on Tuesday where he had told Yadav, “It was I who helped your father Lalu Prasad, the RJD president, become the leader of opposition when he did not have the support of even his own caste men.” 

The state assembly on Tuesday witnessed a fiery showdown between the CM and his former deputy during a debate on a motion of thanks to the governor’s address to the joint session of the bicameral legislature.

The CM claimed that he “made RJD supremo Lalu Yadav what he became” and invoked the past records of the RJD tenure from 1994 to 2005.

Speaking to reporters outside the assembly on Wednesday, Yadav said, “Yesterday, Nitish Kumar ji said in the assembly that he made Lalu Yadav the chief minister. Let us leave aside Lalu ji for a moment… he has helped many people in many ways… those supported by him became Prime Ministers… but Nitish Kumar should speak about himself. It was Tejashwi who saved him twice by helping him retain the CM’s post. Else, his party would have been finished.” Yadav, however, did not elaborate on his claim.

“He (Nitish Kumar) should remember that even before him, my father had already been elected as an MLA twice and once as an MP. Even today, he (Nitish) is the leader of a party which is in the third position in terms of the number of MLAs. What one can say about Nitish ji… he speaks as if he is the creator of the ‘sansar’ (universe). According to him (Nitish Kumar), even ‘sansar’ came into existence after 2005. There was nothing in Bihar before 2005,” Yadav said.

“Nitish Kumar is tired now… his health condition is not well. He is running a government with retired bureaucrats,” he alleged. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)