Lalu’s legacy eclipses Nitish’s oath taking ceremony

New Delhi: Controversy never seems to leave Bihar politics. With the oath taking ceremony of the Nitish Kumar's cabinet on Saturday raising quite a few eyebrows, Lalu Prasad Yadav's sons' swearing in and assuming high-profile posts baffled many.

While Tej Pratap, RJD Lalu's elder son, fumbled during the oath, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav was sworn in as the deputy Chief Minister. Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind had to prompt Tej Pratap during the ceremony.

Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, at 26, became the youngest ever deputy chief minister of the country.

The oath taking ceremony also witnessed a plethora of political stalwarts. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi CM and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, NCP leader Sharad Pawar and former PM HD Deve Gowda were among the notable guests. However, UP CM Akhilesh Yadav did not attend the ceremony. The presence of the plethora of ministers did send a strong message to BJP. It is clear that a third-front is brewing up to corner BJP at the Centre.

However, the decision to assign the high-profile post of a deputy chief minister to an inexperienced youth drew flak from various political quarters. And Tej Pratap's fumbling added to his woes with media channels continuously airing the incident.

Political pundits have already termed that the comeback man Lalu's 'beta raj' is ensuing after the bygone era of 'Rabri raj'. It is clear that Lalu has started flexing his political prowess in Bihar. The embarrassment during the oath taking ceremony also testifies that Bihar is on the move backward.

The opposition was quick to pounce on the opportunity and launch an outright attack on Nitish Kumar for bowing down before RJD's supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's demands. Targeting the RJD, they alleged, 'samajwad' was replaced by 'pariwarwad' by the party.

Lalu's decision to place the limelight on his sons clearly indicates that he wants the reins of Bihar to be controlled only by him or his family. However, this might irk a few leaders in RJD who had actively worked for the party to facilitate a comeback for Lalu.

Overlooking the leaders and bestowing sensitive responsibilities on a person devoid of administrative experience will definitely be a point of discussion for the next few days in India's politics.

(Picture Courtesy : www.orissapost.com)