BJP, RJD cross swords following Bhupender Yadav s claim of split in Lalu's party

Senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav haspredicted a ''major split'' in the Rashtriya Janata Dal,triggering a war of words between the two parties whichrespectively helm the ruling and the opposition coalitions.

Yadav, the BJPs national general secretary in-charge forBihar, had on Sunday said that Lalu Prasads party wouldsuffer a ''badi toot'' (major split) after Makar Sankrantifestival later this week and challenged the RJD leadership toavert the crisis.

Speaking after the BJP's state-level training programmethe previous day at Rajgir, Bhupender Yadav had claimed thatmany RJD legislators annoyed with the ''pariwarvad'' (nepotism)in Lalu Prasad's party are willing to leave it.

Yadav had also mocked at claims by many RJD leaders thatthe NDA government would soon fall as many MLAs of ChiefMinister Nitish Kumars JD(U) were thinking of jumping theship as they felt slighted by the BJPs rising clout, byvirtue of its numerical superiority.

Former state minister Shyam Rajak, who joined the RJD a fewmonths ago upon expulsion from the JD(U) and has been made astate vice president, had recently sought to buttress thepoint by citing the defection of JD(U) MLAs to the BJP inArunachal Pradesh as a proof of uneasy ties between the twoallies and increased vulnerability of Nitish Kumars party.

Janata Dal (United) leader in Lok Sabha Rajiv Ranjan Singhalias Lalan Singh Monday backed the BJP leader's claim, sayingthe day he (Bhupender Yadav) wish the RJD would not only splitbut also merge with the saffron party.

In the recently constituted assembly, RJD had emerged asthe single largest party with 75 MLAs, closely followed by BJPwhich returned with a tally of 74.

The JD(U) finished a distant third, winning only 43 seats.

The BJP leaders remark drew an angry response from RJDnational vice president Shivanand Tiwary, a veteran socialistwho called Yadav ''one of my former colleagues in Rajya Sabhawhom I respect''.

''If there is any substance in his claim, what is his partywaiting for? Let it flex it muscles and demonstrate thecapability to break the RJD'', Tiwary added withuncharacteristic combativeness.

The belligerence of the septuagenarian, who also madesarcastic reference to the trust deficit between the saffronparty and the JD(U), was detested by the state BJP.

State BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand hit back with a stronglyworded statement, accusing the veteran socialist of having''reduced himself to a vassal of, first, Lalu Prasad and nowhis son Tejashwi Yadav''.

''Bhupender Yadav is the tallest leader of Yadav communityin the country'', fumed Anand, who himself belongs to thepowerful OBC caste group, and added ''it is only a matter oftime before his words come true and the RJD disintegrates''.

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