The Battle For Bihar

Transcript of the BBC Hindi special programme, Aapki Baat BBC Ke Saathwith union rural development minister and senior RJD leader Raghuvansh PrasadSingh and JD (U) stalwart, Sharad Yadav on why have the leaders of Bihar failedthe electorate of the state.

Nagendar Sharma: Why have the leaders of Bihar let down theelectorate? Thepublic seems at a loss to understand what is happening there. Do you take responsibility?

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh: Well, a lot of hue and cry was raised about 15 yearsof RJD rule in the state. All the forces were united against us, even one of theconstituents of our alliance at the centre, Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP added tothe confusion in the state. The result was a fractured mandate. Despite allefforts to dislodge RJD, we did emerge as the single largest party, despite allodds. But, yes, we could not get the required figure and that is why Bihar doesnot have a government today.

Sharad Yadav: The government was about to be formed in Bihar when the UPAdecided to subvert democracy. The NDA had won 92 seats in February, 17 MLAsbelonging to smaller parties and independents had given unconditional support tous, taking the NDA tally to 109 in 243 member assembly. Now 22 MLAs belonging toRam Vilas Paswan’ party decided to come with us -- thus we had the required number,and were about to stake claim on 23rd May. But at midnight, on 22nd May, the UPAgovernment at the centre, under pressure from Lalu’s RJD decided to recommendfresh elections.

This was the worst possible assault on democracy. Therefore it is notthat the parties could not form a government in three months, but the ruling alliancewanted something else.

BBC listener from Madhubani (Bihar)::My question, to Raghuvanshji, is what is the basis of allegations levelled by himrecently that NDA was trying to buy MLAs by bribing them upto three crore rupees?And, Sharadji, how do you reply to this. It is a serious allegation.

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh: Well, governor Buta Singh had warned 10-15 days back that he hadinformation about attempts of horse-trading. In fact, he had warned all theparties of Bihar to stay away from these corrupt practices. Why did the NDA takethe MLAs of Lok Janshakti to Jharkhand? It was because they had a governmentthere and could do whatever they wanted. NDA is an expert inhorse-trading. In Jharkhand, they had kidnapped five independent MLAs, taken them toRajasthan and then forced them to support their government. Here the NDA wasexposed before it could do this. Now they are crying over violation of theconstitution. Is not allowing time for horse-trading a violation? We succeeded infoiling the worst malpractice in democracy --that is, to form a government bybribing MLAs. How can they claim 22 MLAs, when Paswan wasclaiming he had 10 MLAs with him.

Sharad Yadav: It is strange. When more than two-thirds of MLAs belongingto Paswan’s party were ready to support us, how can they call it horse-trading? The constitution of the county clearly says if two-thirds of thegroup is ready to merge with another, it would be recognised. Why is the UPA alleging withoutbasis? Merely 11 MLAs were in Jharkhand, the others were at different places. Ifit was horse-trading, then why did the UPA not proceed with any legal action? Why are they merely talking, they should prove it.

BBC listener fromJodhpur: We have two big leaders fighting over government formation, but whatabout the people of Bihar? Can Raghuvanshji reply what has his party done forthe state in past 15 years? We have only broken bridges and roads with potholes. ..

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh: It is easy to point out the backwardness of Bihar, but nobodylooks at the reasons.For the past six years, there was a NDA government at the centre, which did not releaseadequate funds for our state. Let me give youan example about my ministry, Rural Development: More than Rs 1800 crore wasblocked by the centre, and all schemes in rural areas remained a non-starter dueto this. Bihar has been a victim of step-motherly treatment by successivecentral governments. Sharad Yadav was one of the twelve ministers from Bihar inthe NDA government for six long years. Can he tell me what all they did for thestate? We have tried to change all this during the past year of UPA government.

Nagendar Sharma: Sharad Yadav, how do you respond to this charge? And if the peoplewere against RJD, why did you fail to get a majority in the February polls andeven after three months you could not muster support?

Sharad Yadav: Ithink people like Raghuvansh are in politics because they can talk and donothing else. The NDA government had given a special Bihar package of Rs 52,000crores. It was for basic infrastructure, roads, development of Patna airportetc., but why the RJD government did not spend it properly is for them toanswer. So far as three months time is concerned, please remember that Vidhan Sabha waskept in suspended animation for six months, and within three months, we wereable to get the necessary support required to form the government. We wouldparade more than 130 MLAs before the president for the world to see the reality.

BBC listener from Spain: One year has been wasted by NDA crying hoarseon tainted ministers, but can Sharad Yadav say confidently that they are notainted leaders in NDA? On the other hand, Laluji’s RJD claims to besecular despite their ally Congress joining hands with Muslim League in Kerala...

Sharad Yadav: Well, you have raised some valid points. There has beena in this 57 year old Indian parliamentary democracy. No person chargedfor economic offences remained a minister during Congress governments, or UnitedFront or even NDA governments. I was the Janata Dal president in 1996, when theUF government was formed. I was facing false charges for Hawala, therefore Irefused to become a minister. I had said, though false, charges are charges, andI would like to be cleared before joining the ministry. The NDA, during itstenure, did not allow a single person facing economic offence charges to bein the ministry. Remember, Buta Singh had to go out of the cabinet then? It isnow for the UPA government to continue following this tradition -- would they doit?

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh: Well, NDA leaders should try and look into their own selvesbefore preaching morality to others. Sharad Yadav should know well that he hasbeen supporting Advani and company who committed the gravest assault on Indianconstitution by demolishing the Babri Masjid. Can anyone defend that shamefulact, which has led all Indians to hang their heads in shame in front of theworld? Traditions for a democracy are good, but a line has to be drawn somewhere on who preaches them!

BBC listener from Raipur: What hasthe RJD done during the past 15 years so that people of Bihar should continue to bewith them and when would both big parties of Bihar, that is RJD and JD(U) dosomething constructive, other than mud slinging?

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh: Well, the biggest contribution of RJD rule for Biharhas been the transformation of who wields power. We have succeeded in transferring powerfrom the feudals to the common poor people of the state. It is now the feudalforces who are trying to undo what we have done. The poor and thebackwards, who were not even allowed to walk on roads and lead a respectablelife for the initial four decades after independence, have been provided a lifeof honour and dignity by the RJD government.We have fought discrimination, and now thetime for development has come. The UPA government would undo the damage done toBihar by the NDA.

Sharad Yadav: Well, what has RJD done to Bihar is evident from the Februaryassembly elections, where they have got less than one-third of the total seats inBihar. Let them gloat over the fact that they are the single largest in thestate. So far as communalism is concerned, we do not support the demolition ofBabri Masjid, and our stand is absolutely clear. But Raghuvansh ji should notforget that it was the Congress, which had allowed the opening of locks at thedisputed site in Ayodhya, and it is this that led to the entire trouble in the years to follow.JD (U) is clear, it only supports the NDA on national agenda for governance, andnothing else.

Nagendar Sharma: But, Mr Sharad Yadav, does your party find itself in an uneasyposition due to BJP’s agenda? Recently you had criticised the Gujarat riots...

Sharad Yadav: Our stand on Gujarat is clear. The JD (U) condemns Gujaratriots of 2002, but please remember communalism includes all sorts of discrimination onthe basis of religion, caste, region – we condemn all sorts of discrimination.

Nagendar Sharma: But does the JD(U) think Gujarat was one of themain reasons for defeat of NDA in last year’s general elections?

Sharad Yadav: Well, there were many reasons for the defeat. I think themajor ones were holding of early elections, due to which the NDA governmentcould not publicise and tell the voters all the good work it had done during itstenure.

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh: Sharadji may try to downplay the Gujarat riots, but let meremind him that Sunder Singh Bhandari, a senior BJP man, who was the governorduring riots period has raised several questions on Narendra Modi government.Atalji had himself said he is ashamed of what happened in Gujarat. Is anythingelse left to be said? I am shocked to see Socialists defending Gujarat, the indefensible.

Nagendar Sharma: Raghuvanshji, why did the UPA government not ask governor Buta Singhto give one chance to the NDA to try and form a government rather than forcefresh elections on the state?

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh: The results of Biharassembly elections were declared on 27th February -- why did the NDA not stakeclaim to form a government in the state for three months? The only party whichstaked claim to form the government was RJD. Instead of staking claim, theNDA went to the governor to request him not to invite the RJD. Now when they hadlured certain MLAs by offering huge sums of money, they are shouting from theroof-tops. What did they want time for? For horse-trading?

According to NDA, if they arenot allowed to break MLAs, then it is a violation of the constitution. I want toask them, why were they afraid to stake a claim to form the government for threemonths, when they claim that the verdict was against Lalu Prasad's RJD?

About two months back, the NDA chief ministerial candidate, Nitish Kumar had publiclygiven up the efforts to form a government in Bihar, saying Paswan wasnot cooperating in his effort. Now what is NDA complaining about? In fact, theyare confused about their own efforts. They owe an explanation to the country, asafter giving up efforts once, from where did they get the energy and resourcesto claim again?

Nagendar Sharma: But, Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan do not see eye to eye, whatwould be the UPA's strategy for the fresh assembly polls in Bihar ?

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh: UPA constituents have learnt from the past mistakes and haverealised that split of secular votes in Bihar only hurts the voter ultimately.This time we would make efforts to forge a wide unity among secular votes. Letme disclose this now. We did not fare badly because of public anger, butinternal reasons. Our ticket allotment was not fully correct. Wehave learnt our lessons from February. The NDA was lucky then, notanymore.