Strain in the Grand Alliance in Bihar did not stop the Janata Dal (United) on Tuesday from supporting Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s candidature for the Vice-President’s post, but the party simultaneously gave alliance partner Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) an ultimatum on scam-tainted Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav.

JD (U) President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sent a strong message to RJD that Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son and Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav, who has been named in a CBI FIR in land-for-hotels scam, should either prove that the charges against him don’t hold or quit his post. For the purpose, the RJD has been given an ultimatum of four days.

“Those facing corruption charges should face the public and come clean. We are confident that it will happen,” said a spokesperson for the JD(U).

JD(U)’s alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD has been teetering since his family became the target of various investigations into land scams and corruption. Coupled with the Chief Minister’s recent decisions to support the BJP on issues like demonetisation and surgical strikes and, more significantly, their choice for the President Ram Nath Kovind, the RJD’s corruption scandals were seen as pushing Nitish Kumar towards the BJP.

However, the Bihar Chief Minister seemed to be toeing the middle path for now. His position was revealed in two different meetings on Tuesday, one in Delhi where JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav backed the Opposition candidate for Vice-President and the second in Patna where Lalu Yadav was given a four-day’s time to take action against his son Tejaswi Yadav.

In the JD(U) meeting in Patna, Nitish Kumar met party ministers, legislators and office-bearers at his 1, Anne Marg residence to discuss the political situation in Bihar arising out of the growing demand for the resignation of Tejaswi Yadav.

Those present at the meeting said Nitish Kumar was clear about what he expected from Lalu Yadav.

“We have created a precedent by taking the resignations of our own ministers,” JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said at a press briefing while referring to several instances in the past when Nitish Kumar asked his ministers to resign over corruption charges.

At the same time, the JD(U) maintained that there would be no public denouncement of Lalu Yadav and his family.

“We know how to respect coalition dharma. We will follow it till our last breath. But we do hope that the charges will be countered in public,” said the JD(U) spokesperson.

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