"Who's More Opportunistic Than Chacha": Tejashwi Yadav On Bihar Seat Deal

Calling the mahagathbandhan or the Grand Alliance an opportunistic arrangement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the efforts of the opposition parties were for personal survival and ambitions and the country would never accept such an incoherent coalition.

"Various political leaders today are talking about a grand alliance or the mahagathbandhan. Let me tell you that this alliance is for personal survival, not ideological support. This alliance is for power, not for the people. This alliance is for personal ambitions and not for people's aspirations," he said today.

However, soon after Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of Opposition and face of the anti-NDA alliance in Bihar, hit back saying "nobody is more opportunistic than my chacha", in an apparent dig at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"Despite being abused, if my chacha can continue with the NDA, then is it fair to dub the opposition as opportunists," Tejashwi Yadav retorted.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, who has been helming the party after his father and party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was sent to jail in fodder scam, termed the NDA's seat sharing in Bihar a "knee-jerk reaction" to Upendra Kushwaha joining the Grand Alliance, and said the BJP-led grouping would draw a blank in the state in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Mr Kushwaha's exit had coincided with the BJP's loss in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

Mr Yadav, said that the NDA was rattled after the exit of Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP).

The RLSP chief who quit the NDA on December 10 accused PM Modi of "surrendering" before JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar. "The 56-inch chest appears to have shrunken to 36 inches," he tweeted.

BJP chief Amit Shah today announced that the BJP and the JD(U) would fight 17 Lok Sabha seats each in the state and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party would contest the remaining six, besides a Rajya Sabha berth for Mr Paswan.

"The BJP had won 22 seats in 2014 and it is now contesting only 17 seats. JD(U) had won only two but is getting 17. Such an arrangement shows how confident the NDA is," Mr Yadav said.

Meanwhile, the Grand Alliance has a new entrant in Bihar.

"Mukesh Sahni's Vikashsheel Insaan Party (VIP) is joining the Grand Alliance in Bihar. This shows that the Grand Alliance's strength is increasing. The BJP-led NDA will not be able to open its account in the Lok Sabha polls (here)," said Mr Yadav.

A former Bollywood set designer, Mr Sahni was earlier wooed by the NDA. He is said to have influence among his caste men -- Mallah, a fishermen community.

"I am a newcomer in politics but I am quite confident that the NDA will not be able to cross the double digit mark (in seats) in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, failing which I will retire from politics," Mr Sahni said.

He added the NDA failed to fulfill its promise to include Nishad, Mallah, Nonia communities in the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes category.