Patna: Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader George Fernandes has hit out at party colleague and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying that nothing had changed in the state since the party had come to power 10 months ago and corruption still ruled.
The former defence minister and the party's most high profile leader until not so long ago, Fernandes had suffered a humiliating defeat in the JD-U elections earlier this year when Sharad Yadav was chosen president.
He not only made his unhappiness with the Nitish Kumar government crystal clear, but also said the situation in Bihar was the same as it was -- with law and order continuing to be a pressing problem, contrary to the chief minister's claims of sushashan (good governance).
"Last year, our dreams were fulfilled when we ousted the Lalu-Rabri duo from power. With a change in government, people expected a lot they have yet to get any relief," Fernandes told reporters after his arrival from his constituency Muzaffarpur.
"It seems virtually nothing has changed on the law and order front; kidnapping goes on unchecked and there is no sign of any improvement on the economic front," he said.
"Nothing will click in Bihar, no development will take place unless the law and order situation improves and is reflected in falling crime rates," Fernandes said of his own party government.
He said his vision of a better, crime-free Bihar continued to remain a dream despite a new government in the state.
Directly targeting Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, the man who has been relegated to the sidelines in Bihar politics said the government was being run by only two people and corruption and red-tape had become the order of the day.
JD-U leaders close to him said he could not forget the way he had been ousted from the party's top post at the fag end of his political life.
Fernandes, however, stressed that he would not quit the JD-U. "I built this party from the ground up and I have no intention of leaving it."
But the buzz here is that he may go back to his old Samata Party or float a new outfit.
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