Lalu Yadav's 'love for son' Tejashwi responsible for split in grand alliance: RJD MLA

In a huge embarrassment for Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Maheshwar Yadav, on Thursday said many party MLAs wanted Tejashwi Yadav to resign.

Patna: In a huge embarrassment for Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Maheshwar Prasad Yadav, on Thursday said many party MLAs wanted Tejashwi Yadav to resign.

While commenting on the split in Bihar's much-talked about mahagathbandhan, Maheshwar Yadav, an MLA from Gaighatti in Muzaffarpur district said, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has a clean image and he didn't want anyone with a tainted image to be a part of the grand alliance.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Maheshwar Yadav further said that many RJD MLAs were of the opinion that Tejashwi Yadav should step down as Bihar deputy chief minister so that the grand alliance remains intact.

Prasad said, "Extra involvement in his family and his son - his putra-moh - became the reason of his downfall."

"Our party's senior leadership had suggested Tejashwi Yadav's resignation to save the alliance, but Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav were stubborn. We didn't expect Nitish Kumar to take such a huge step," he said.

Nitish Kumar walked out of the mahagathbandhan after RJD chief Lalu Yadav categorically said there was no chance of Tejashwi resigning over the corruption charges.

Nitish Kumar was on Wednesday was sworn in as the chief minister of Bihar for the sixth time, a day after he resigned, dumped coalition partner Lalu Prasad's RJD and joined hands with the opposition BJP to reclaim his post in fast-paced manoeuvres that redrew the political landscape of the state.

In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, JD(U) has 71 MLAs and the BJP 53. The two parties together have 124 MLAs, marginally ahead of the half-way mark. Besides, they have the support of NDA allies LJP (02) and RLSP (02).

Tensions simmered between the two alliance partners ever since the CBI registered a case against Lalu Prasad, his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi in a land-for-hotels case.

The offence was allegedly committed when Lalu was the railway minister in the UPA government. He was allegedly instrumental in handing over the maintenance of two hotels of Indian Railways-owned PSU ICRTC to two Patna businessmen in return for a prime plot of land in the Bihar capital where his family is now constructing a shopping mall.