The CBI raided the homes of two senior leaders of the Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Wednesday in connection with investigations into an alleged "land-for-jobs" scam during Lalu Yadav's tenure as Railway minister in the UPA-I government.
The raids coincide with Wednesday's Assembly session in which the Nitish Kumar-led government, backed by the RJD, faces a test of majority two weeks after the Janata Dal (United) parted ways with the BJP and joined hands with RJD.
CBI teams reached the homes of RJD's Rajya Sabha MP Ahmad Ashfaque Karim and a Member of Legislative Council in Bihar Sunil Singh early on Wednesday morning, report ndtv.com and PTI.
"This is being done intentionally. There is no meaning. They are doing it hoping that our MLAs will join them out of fear," Singh said after his Patna home was searched.
An RJD spokesperson had tweeted Tuesday night that the CBI and other central agencies were preparing for raids because the BJP was "furious" over losing power in Bihar.
In May, Lalu Yadav and several of his family members were charged in a corruption case alleging irregularities in recruitment between 2004 and 2009. The CBI alleged that Lalu and his family members received land and properties as bribe for giving out railway jobs.
House sparks
Sparks are set to fly at the Bihar Assembly on Wednesday when the BJP, now stripped of power and politically isolated, will try to hold its own against the mighty seven-party ruling 'Mahagathbandhan'.
The special session is set to commence on a stormy note on account of Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha's stout refusal to resign despite the new ruling dispensation's motion of no-confidence against him.
Sinha, a senior BJP leader, evidently enjoys the backing of his party which has vowed to take on "Paltu Kumar", a pejorative it has coined for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his many volte faces, and the new government which has been formed through "back door", a charge the party has, ironically, been facing since 2017.
'Expose Paltu Kumar'
"We have not taken a decision on the leader of the opposition in the assembly. That does not top the agenda. We are looking forward to exposing Paltu Kumar and this new government, formed through the back door, which has brought a no-confidence motion," said Nitin Nabin, a BJP leader who lost his ministerial berth to the cataclysmic political developments in the state.
The 'Mahagathbandhan', which comprises the chief minister's JD(U), besides RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), CPI and CPI(M), has a combined strength of more than 160 in the 243-strong House.
As such, there is little to worry for the new coalition which can comfortably vote out the speaker and proceed to prove its majority on the floor.
Nonetheless, Sinha, who takes pride in having been "the first BJP leader to have become Speaker" of the state assembly, seems to have baffled his former allies by his obstinate stance.
'Resign honourably'
"If he does not go on his own, he will be removed. It would have been better for him to resign honourably," said JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, currently a minister, who preceded Sinha as the speaker.
Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari too seemed confounded and when asked how would the ruling coalition stop Sinha from occupying the Chair, reacted with exasperation.
"If a rabid dog bites me, I cannot bite it back. The best I can do is to get myself treated," said Hazari.
BJP OBC Morcha national general secretary and state spokesman Nikhil Anand alleged in a statement, "Nitish Kumar is using the deputy speaker, a Dalit, to get abuses hurled at the Speaker. In the process, the CM wants Dalits to get a bad name."
