Was Lalan Singh removed as JD-U chief for conspiring against Nitish Kumar?

Patna, Dec 29 (IANS) The resignation of JD-U President Lalan Singh on Friday is being attributed in some circles as the price of his alleged but abortive conspiracy to dethrone Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

According to sources, Lalan Singh was allegedly planning to break the JD-U to make Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav the Chief Minister and a secret meeting of 15 MLAs was held in a cabinet minister's office on December 20.

However, the plan of Lalan Singh was foiled as one of the MLAs who participated in the secret meeting informed Nitish Kumar about it.

Nitish Kumar had gone to New Delhi for the meeting of the INDIA bloc on December 19 and he stayed on there on December 20.

During his meeting, Lalan Singh reportedly told the MLAs that if they support Tejashwi Yadav in the formation of a government in Bihar, they would get ministerial berths.

When MLAs have said that their membership would be cancelled as a two-third majority, or 31 MLAs, are required to split the party, Lalan Singh is said to have told them that Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary belongs to the RJD and would give recognition of the group.

He is also alleged that as he is holding the post of national President of the party, he will not go to the Election Commission with a complaint against them and hence, the anti-defection law would not be implemented against them.

However, the alleged conspiracy was foiled as Nitish Kumar learnt about it and individually asked those 15 MLAs about their stand. He is also said that have contacted the cabinet minister whose office was used for the meeting and obtained confirmation.

Following this, he decided to remove Lalan Singh from the post and took all the power in his own hands including taking all decisions on behalf of the party, selection of candidates for the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections and holding dialogues with alliance partners in the interest of the party.

Despite this theory emerging in political circles of Bihar, senior JD-U senior leader and state Finance Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said that Lalan Singh wants to campaign in his own Lok Sabha constituency and hence he has given the resignation from the post of national P:resident. He also said that Lalan Singh himself proposed the name of Nitish Kumar for the post of national President.