Lalu Career Counsels Nitish Kumar: We're Old Now, Should Step Back

Patna: At a time when more than one party is retiring top leaders, offering them the fig leave of serving on mentorship committees, Lalu Yadav today said that "Nitish Kumar (the Bihar Chief Minister) and I are both getting older, how much longer will we go on, it's time for young leaders to take over." Conveniently, Lalu, as he is known, has a succession plan handy - son Tej Pratap is a minister while his younger brother Tejashwi is Deputy Chief Minister at age 27.

Nitish Kumar, 66, has expressed no discomfort or fatigue with his position as head of the government. His third consecutive term was heavily enabled by an alliance with Lalu's party - which is why the latter's sons are in a sweet spot.
 Lalu's family has of late been unsubtle about its ambition for Tejashwi Yadav to lose the qualifier of "Deputy" in his rank. Yesterday, Lalu's wife, Rabri Devi, who has also served as Chief Minister, said "it is the people's wish" to see her son promoted. She did not share details of the sample for her opinion poll.

Lalu today was marginally more politically correct - he said that Mr Kumar is the leader of their alliance and that his children are still learning the ropes of politics. But he then went on to suggest that as senior citizens, they're pushing it now with remaining in charge.

Leaders from Mr Kumar's party who did not want to be named offered comments that amount to "It's a free country so anyone can say what they like."

Lalu's career counselling also comes at a time when Mr Kumar and the BJP, with whom he ended a long alliance ahead of the general election, have been exchanging compliments publicly.