india

Updated: Sep 07, 2019 17:10 IST

Merely two days after JD (U) MLA Amarnath Gami caused embarrassment to his party by alleging Nitish government’s decision to ban “pan masala”, was taken to cover the government’s illegal transactions, the lawmaker from Hayaghat put up

billboards in Darbhanga town praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The hoardings said there was no need to worry for 2020 Assembly polls since PM Modi is there (Kyon Karte ho abhi se chinta, 2020 mein bajega Modi ka danka) which is been seen as a rejoinder to his own party’s hoarding which said “Kyu kare vichar thike to hai Nitish Kumar (Why give a second thought since Nitish Kumar is alright).

The JD (U) had been projecting Nitish Kumar as the leader of the NDA in Bihar under whose leadership the 2020 assembly elections will be fought.

“PM Modi is an accepted national leader and in Bihar, it is CM Nitish Kumar’s work which speaks,” said JD (U) spokesperson Nikhil Mandal.

The hoardings and the MLA’s criticism of the government’s “pan masala” ban have made the red-faced JD (U) leadership mull action against him. “Let me first have a talk with the MLA and take his views,” JD (U) state president Bashistha Narain Singh said.

JD U) sources said that Gami is inciting party to take action against him as “he is keen to re-join his parent party, the BJP.”

The Hayaghat MLA was elected to Bihar assembly in 2010 on BJP ticket but joined the JD (U) ahead of 2015 assembly polls and retained his seat with a victory in polls.

“Even if he joins the BJP, nobody knows if the seat will go to the saffron party in seat-sharing,” said a JD (U) leader.

Gami is non-committal on the question of joining the BJP. “Time and situation will decide the move. I have just given a suggestion. It is up to the government to accept it,” he said while referring to his position on the ‘pan masala’ ban.

He defended his billboards praising PM as the need of the hour. “The elections are approaching. It is the time of slogans. It makes an impact on people and public understands them better,” Gami said.

“These hoardings are meant to lure voters towards NDA,” he added.

In April 2019, Gami had offered to resign from JD (U) after he was ignored for campaigning during the Lok Sabha polls.

Protesting the government’s ban on 12 brands of flavoured chewing tobacco for containing harmful magnesium carbonate, for a period of one year in Bihar, Gami had directly attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, asking him to “not ruin Bihar just to gain fame” and to reconsider the ban.

He had raised concerns about people associated with the sale of ‘pan masala’ getting unemployed and said the government should have created employment opportunities before announcing the ban.

The RJD found an opportunity in Gami’s hoardings to hit out at the JD (U).

“This means that JD (U) MLA must have developed love for PM Modi and his liking for CM Nitish mush have diminished,” quipped RJD’s national vice president Shivanad Tiwary before asking, “Why make a fuss on the issue?