Sharad Yadav was absent at Nitish Kumar's swearing-in ceremony on Friday
Highlights
- Sharad Yadav upset about Nitish Kumar's ally swap
- Sharad Yadav says Bihar decision 'unfortunate, don't agree'
- Nitish Kumar ended tie-up with Lalu Yadav, Congress last week
Sharad Yadav, silent for five days, confirmed today that he deeply disapproves of party colleague Nitish Kumar's stunning political change-up. "Whatever happened is very unfortunate, the mandate by the people was not for this," the veteran Janata Dal (United) leader told reporters at Parliament.
Nitish Kumar last Wednesday terminated his two-year mahagahtbandhan or Grand Alliance with Lalu Yadav and the Congress and revived a partnership with the BJP, four years after their acrimonious split.
The Chief Minister said he felt "suffocated" and referred to Lalu Yadav's son Tejashwi's refusal to resign as his deputy despite corruption charges. Fourteen hours later, Nitish Kumar was sworn in with a new deputy, the BJP's Sushil Kumar Modi. Sharad Yadav's absence at the Friday oath ceremony was telling.
Some Janata Dal (United) leaders went public with their dismay at the ally swap but Sharad Yadav had so far communicated only through his loud silence and tweets critical of the BJP-led central government.
Sharad Yadav, 70, was replaced as party president by Nitish Kumar a year ago, a move designed to give the Chief Minister greater control over decisions ahead of the 2019 national election. As Nitish Kumar's stand-in in Delhi, Sharad Yadav attended opposition meetings to decide on candidates for President and Vice President.
But after Nitish Kumar backed the government's candidate Ram Nath Kovind for President, there were questions on whether Sharad Yadav really spoke for his party.
Lalu Yadav claimed Sharad Yadav had called him and shared his objection to the Nitish-BJP reunion. "He has told us he is with us," Lalu Yadav told NDTV. Over the weekend, he even suggested that Sharad Yadav should lead an anti-BJP front.
Critics speculate Sharad Yadav, a former union minister, is betting on a spot in the union cabinet. He is reportedly also eyeing Bihar's Madhepura constituency - where he has won many times in the past - for his son-in-law. But Nitish Kumar, some believe, has not really forgiven Sharad Yadav for backing Jitan Ram Manjhi, who went rogue in 2015 and refused to step aside for Nitish Kumar.