Laloo to fight it out sans JMM

PATNA, Sept 15 (PTI) — RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav has chosen to stand virtually alone in a high-stake political gamble by playing the anti-Vananchal card to consolidate his base in north and central Bihar for possible fresh elections even at the cost of alienating the supporting party JMM (S) and JMM (M).

Another party supporting his minority government from outside, Congress, has reaffirmed its commitment to creation of a separate tribal state out of Bihar but, unlike the two Jharkhand parties, it has not decided to withdraw support to the RJD government in Bihar over the issue.

As a result, the RJD government headed by Yadav’s wife Rabri Devi faces no imminent threat of fall. It enjoys the support of 159 in a House with an effective strength of 320, including the Speaker.

The break-up is: RJD 133, breakaway Janata Dal 13, suspended CPI five and Independents eight.

The support of the Congress and a few of the remaining five Independent MLAs will ensure smooth sailing for the government. The latter, as also the lone Champaran Vikas Parishad member espousing the cause of development of a non-tribal district may also help RJD to block the approval of the Vananchal bill.

Laloo Prasad Yadav with his support base mainly in the plains of north and central Bihar was opposed to the demand for a separate Vananchal state from the very outset.

However, when he sustained depletion in strength following split in the Janata Dal and strained relationship with the Left parties, he sought to make good the loss by buying peace with JMM (S) and mending fences with the Congress.

This prompted him to support the creation of a Jharkhand Autonomous Council and even move a resolution for the creation of a separate tribal state last year in the state Assembly which was carried unanimously.

However, faced with persistent threat of dismissal to the government headed by his wife Rabri Devi, Yadav seems to have charted a course of going to the people again by whipping up pan-Bihar sentiments against its bifurcation and inclusion of the country’s richest mineral belt in the proposed Vananchal state.

Mr Yadav’s party RJD, like its breakaway incarnation Samata Party, is basically confined to the plains of Bihar while the Congress and the BJP have stakes in both the plains and the plateau region inhabited by tribesmen.

Jharkhand parties, including JMM (S), are confined to the mineral-rich and industrially advanced south Bihar which, however, comprises 18 of the 50-odd districts in the state.

The region, however, abounds in wealth of minerals, including coal, copper, iron ore, mica and bauxite and boasts of heavy industries like Bokaro and Tata Steel Plants.

According to a rough estimate by the state finance department, 70 per cent of Bihar’s revenue earning comes from the plateau region.

Tribal South Bihar also accounts for Rs 1000 crore a year as royalty on coal, Rs 700 crore by way of commercial taxes and another Rs 100 crore through excise and other taxes.

Warning by BJP
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 15 — In a strong warning to the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, the BJP today said he would be digging his political grave if tried to arouse parochial passions and created a law and order problem in Bihar on the Vananchal issue.

Reacting sharply to Mr Yadav’s threats issued yesterday, the BJP General Secretary, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, said "a desperately cornered Laloo Prasad Yadav is obviously looking for ways and means to arouse parochial passions and create law and order problem in Bihar". " This is to show his muscle power. If he does so, he will be digging his own political grave", Mr Naidu said adding that separate Vananchal state could be created even without an Assembly resolution now as an earlier unanimous Bihar Assembly resolution was already in place. Parliament can go ahead with the proposed legislation, he said.

Calling Mr Yadav as "totally opportunistic", Mr Naidu said that the former Chief Minister has intentionally forgotten about the all-party resolution adopted by the Bihar Assembly for creation of separate state of Vananchal. Mr Yadav had backed that resolution when it suited him and needed the support of Jharkhand legislators, the BJP leader pointed out adding that now that he is fighting with his back to the wall, he is trying to arouse majority passions and swing in the opposite direction.

Mr Naidu said if Mr Yadav really loved Bihar, then the state would not have been brought to the present sorry pass after eight years of misrule. The people have been asking for a separate state since the southern Bihar has been neglected and has remained under developed, he said.

Cong supports Jharkhand
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 15 — The Congress today reiterated its support for creation of Jharkhand State, a move that is considered significant in the context of the turnaround of the Rashtriya Janata Dal president, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, on the issue.

At a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, the party reiterated its commitment to support the creation of Jharkhand State as outlined in the party’s manifesto and believed an economic package for Bihar be considered by the government.

Only yesterday, Mr Yadav announced in Patna that partition of the state was ‘’unthinkable’’ and that he was willing to perish.

Briefing the media after the CWC meeting, senior party leader Mr Arjun Singh said the party would support the creation of Jharkhand State as envisaged within Bihar.

By reiterating its stand, the Congress has distanced itself from the RJD which has now turned against carving out a Jharkhand State from Bihar.

The Congress is supporting the RJD Government in Bihar, and the stand is bound to create an embarrassment for the Rabri Devi Government.

Mr Arjun Singh said the Congress would support the Bill for carving out the new State when it is introduced in the state Assembly.

In fact, the creation of Jharkhand and the report of the Ethics Committee which suggested a Code of Conduct for all Congress workers which was adopted dominated the proceedings of the day, relegating other items for discussion.

The quantum of economic package, Mr Singh said, would have to be decided by the Central Government.

To a question whether it should be announced before the formation or along with it, he said the matter was for the government to decide.

It may be recalled that the Samata Party had demanded heavy compensation for Bihar in lieu of letting go mineral-rich areas that would form part of proposed Jharkhand or Vananchal, as the government calls it.

To a question whether the Congress would prefer to call the proposed State Jharkhand or Vananchal, Mr Arjun Singh said while "names are important but the issue is more important’’.

Another significant decision was that the CWC decided that all its members will donate a month’s salary to the Congress President’s Relief Fund and made similar requests to all MPs and MLAs of the party.

Mr Arjun Singh clarified the contribution of monthly salary of a CWC member would be equivalent to that of a Member of Parliament. As per present emoluments, it would work out to Rs 5,000.

The CWC also decided to create a Human Rights Department in the AICC. A suggestion was made by Mr V N Gadgil that such a department be created to protect the exploitation of the poor and minorities specially in unorganised sector.

As regards the organisational issues agenda carried from Pachmarhi conclave that needed further discussion, the CWC decided to meet again later.