Former Chief Minister Lalu Yadav is trying to induce MLAs of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar to switch sides, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi has alleged in a post, sharing a mobile number that he claimed the jailed politician was using.
"Lalu Yadav making telephone call (8051216302) from Ranchi to NDA MLAs and promising ministerial berths", Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted, tagging the media.
"When I telephoned, Lalu directly picked up. I said don't do (sic) these dirty tricks from jail, you will not succeed," said the former Deputy Chief Minister, who has known Lalu Yadav since the 1970s when
both were student leaders involved in the JP movement.
An audio clip, allegedly of the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief offering to make a BJP MLA minister if he abstained from the Speaker's election in the Bihar assembly has been in circulation.
The call was allegedly made to BJP lawmaker Lallan Yadav. A voice apparently of Lalu Yadav says: "We will make you minister. In tomorrow's election of Speaker, you will have to support us."
When the BJP MLA apparently replies, showing his reluctance: "We are in a party", Lalu Yadav says: "Absent ho jao. Corona ho gaya tha (be absent? Say you got corona)".
The RJD leader appears to add: "If you support us and we have our Speaker, then we can do things for you."
Lalu Yadav is serving a four-year jail term in Jharkhand for corruption. He spent much of his sentence in a hospital over health problems.
In recent weeks, the former Chief Minister has been seen at a bungalow allotted to the Director of RIMS hospital in Ranchi.
In the Bihar election earlier this month, the NDA retained power but Lalu Yadav's son Tejashwi Yadav put up a strong fight. The RJD emerged as the largest party though the Tejashwi-led opposition fell short of the majority mark.
Sushil Kumar Modi, who has been replaced by the BJP as Deputy Chief Minister - a post he held for much of Nitish Kumar's 15-year term - was made the Chairman of Ethics Committee of the Bihar legislative council by the Chief Minister.
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