The recent turmoil in the Bihar politics has not only changed the game for many but also questioned the moral standpoint and political principles of many politicians including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
One who has emerged out with clean hands from this fiasco unquestionably is Sharad Yadav.
Sharad Yadav is one of those politicians whom centre cannot choose to ignore or tame down.
His contribution to the nation is not just limited to the state of Bihar. He has a national presence and not merely a regional carriage.
Sharad Yadav has been elected seven times to the Lok Sabha and is presently serving fourth time in Rajya Sabha. Originally influenced by the ideas of Ram Manohar Lohiya, Yadav was chosen by the great socialist leader Jay Prakash Narayan as his first candidate to contest Lok Sabha elections from Jabalpur in 1974.
Yadav has a strong connect to the grass root level, the underprivileged and the backward classes. He was one those leaders who were arrested during the Emergency period under MISA law.
Yadav has also played a tremendous role in the implementation of the Mandal Commission Report, which granted reservations to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). As an MP, he has a good track record, and according to PRS, he has 86% attendance and has participated in 192 debates, which is thrice the national average.
In Bihar Legislative election 2015, the Grand Alliance comprising JD(U), RJD and INC gained a majority in the state and Nitish Kumar was chosen as the Chief Minister with RJD’s Tejaswi Yadav as Deputy chief minister to create a balance among the parties.
But it all turned blue when out of nowhere Nitish Kumar decided to betray people’s mandate by joining the NDA and moving out of the grand alliance citing reasons of corruption against the Lalu family.
The tricky part is that at the time of Grand alliance, before the elections, it was well aware that Lalu has been convicted in a corruption case while there are other corruption allegations against Lalu’s family. If he was so concerned about it, why did he not opt out of the alliance back then? Maybe, because power is what a politician demands.
“I am not afraid of anyone to speak the truth and stand by my principles”
Also read: Modi Has Nothing To Lose But Nitish Kumar Has Put His Everything On Stake
Nevertheless, Sharad Yadav, winner of Outstanding Parliamentarian Award of 2012, chose his principles over power, people over politics, and did not agree with Nitish Kumar’s stand.
He says “I am not afraid of anyone to speak the truth and stand by my principles“.
The present scenario is that the two factions of JD(U), one led by Yadav and other by Kumar, are facing a rift. While there is news that Sharad Yadav may be disqualified from Rajya Sabha because he went against the party’s official stand, Sharad holds that it is Nitish who has gone against the party. Since he has been the founding President of JD(U), it would be erroneous to not let him have a claim to the party name and symbol.
One shouldn’t be exploited for not switching sides.
In this turmoil, EC and the Supreme Court will have a final say.
It is safe to say that no matter how hard one tries, one would certainly not be able to tarnish the reputation of Sharad Yadav.
Sharad Yadav, who claims the real JD(U), is now on ‘Save Composite Culture’ campaign to collect opposition unity before the Lok Sabha polls of 2019. It has been holding conferences all around the nation to attack the policies formulated by the ruling party.
(Feature Image from Hindia Siasat)
More on ED Times:
http://edtimes.in/2017/09/5-years-ago-today-bjp-carried-out-a-bandh-against-fuel-price-hike-we-take-you-back-in-time/
http://edtimes.in/2017/07/how-hamid-ansari-nation-vice-president-india/
