Patna, Nov 26 (IANS) Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) Chief Jitan Ram Manjhi on Thursday alleged that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders had contacted three of his party MLAs and offered them a Cabinet berth. VIP Chief Mukesh Sahani also alleged that the party tried to contact four of his party MLAs to entice them with ministrial berths.
“The RJD is now desperate to gain power. Its leadership wants to make Tejashwi Yadav the Chief Minister and is indulging in horse-trading,” claimed Manjhi.
HAM has four MLAs, including Jitan Ram Manjhi and his son Santosh Kumar Suman, a Cabinet Minister in the Bihar government.
“We are in contact with all the four party MLAS. They have reposed faith in the party and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. We will answer the RJD at an appropriate time,” Sahani said.
Meanwhile, the Rastriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Thursday termed the allegations levelled by former Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and other National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders as completely false and baseless.
Bhai Virendra, the MLA from Maner and RJD Chief Spokesperson, said,”It is in the habit of Sushil Modi to tell lies.
“The phone number mentioned by Sushil Modi does not belong to RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav. I demand a thorough inquiry into the matter to unearth the conspirators. When you dial the number 8051216302 it says ‘invalid’. Now how can an invalid number be used to call anyone?” asked Virendra.
“Sushil Modi has been sidelined by his own party. Now, he is making every effort to prove his presence in the party and become relevant for the top leadership. Hence, he is dragging the name of Lalu Prasad to bring himself into the limelight,” claimed Virendra.
Reacting to Virendra’s claim, Sanjay Mayukh, the BJP Chief Spokesperson, said, “This is the real face of the RJD to pressure MLAs of other parties. We want to initiate an investigation into the matter. The truth about the phone call will automatically come out.”
JDU chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said, “Lalu’s party does not believe in a fair investigation. How can he stay in the bungalow of the RIMS director and be given assistants? He is a convicted person and is violating all the rules of the prison manual. How is he getting such hospitality? I appeal to the Ranchi High Court to take cognisance of the matter.”
Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday evening alleged that Lalu Prasad had called a BJP MLA and asked him to abstain during the voice vote for the election of Speaker in the Bihar assembly.
MLA Lalan Paswan had claimed that former Bihar CM and RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad called him at a time when he was at the residence of Sushil Kumar Modi.
–IANS
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