RJD's Tejashwi denies rift with elder brother Tej Pratap
Patna, June 10: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Bihar's Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday denied any rift with his elder brother and former Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav.
"Tej Pratap is not only my elder brother, he is also my guide (margdarshak). There is nothing like any rift between us," Tejashwi Yadav said, a day after Tej Pratap expressed his unhappiness over what he called being "ignored and sidelined" in the RJD and a section of the media reporting a rift between RJD chief Lalu Prasad's two sons.
In a damage-control exercise, Tejashwi said that whatever his elder brother said was in the party's interest and it would help strengthen the RJD.
Tej Pratap on Saturday said that some people in the party were not listening to him and sought action against elements in the RJD "out to create fissures" between him and his younger brother.
"Sometimes I feel sidelined and ignored in the party. But I will not do anything that could threaten party's unity. Tejashwi is very close to my heart," he told the media here.
Tejashwi is considered by many as the heir apparent to Lalu Prasad in politics as he has been projected the chief ministerial candidate by the RJD repeatedly.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Ramdas Athawale backs Fadnavis as Maharashtra CM; says Shinde can shift to Centre
New Delhi, Nov 26: RPI(A) leader Ramdas Athawale, a key BJP ally, on Tuesday called for a quick decision on the next chief minister of Maharashtra and suggested that incumbent Eknath Shinde should shift to the Centre as a Union minister.
Addressing a press conference here, Athawale also backed senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister of Maharashtra, contending that the saffron party won the maximum number of seats in the 288-member Assembly and should have the right to the top executive post in the state.
He said a peculiar situation has arisen in Maharashtra where BJP leaders want Fadnavis as the chief minister, while Shiv Sena leaders want Shinde to continue in the post, citing the good work he has done over the last two and a half years.
Athawale, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, said NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has declared that he was not in the race for the chief minister.
"We need to resolve this matter, without any further delay. The election results were announced on November 23 and we should have had the oath of the new chief minister on November 26, the Constitution Day," Athawale said.
Backing Fadnavis for the post of chief minister, Athawale said Shinde can become the deputy chief minister or shift to the Centre and join the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Athawale said his RPI(A) has a presence in every part of the state, but unfortunately lost the two seats -- Dharavi and Kalina -- offered to it in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections.
He demanded that an RPI member be made an MLC and a minister in the state government.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections winning 235 seats in the 288-member House. The BJP won 132 seats, followed by Shinde-led Shiv Sena (57) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP (41). Smaller parties, who are part of the alliance, won five seats.
