NEW DELHI: Bihar LoP and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday accused former chief minister Nitish Kumar of derailing the state’s recruitment drive by toppling the Mahagathbandhan government in January 2024, alleging that the change in government stalled the broader promise of 10 lakh jobs for the youth.In a post on X, Tejashwi revisited the large-scale recruitment drive held on November 2, 2023, when 1,20,336 appointment letters were distributed at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan under the Mahagathbandhan government. He described the event as part of a larger plan to provide permanent government employment to the youth.Tejashwi alleged that Nitish Kumar toppled the “youth-friendly” Mahagathbandhan government in January 2024 and formed a new government with the NDA , which he described as “youth-oppressive”. He claimed that several recruitment proposals, including a public health cadre with more than 1.3 lakh posts, were ready but were stalled after the change in government.In January 2024, Nitish Kumar resigned as Bihar chief minister on January 28, ending the Mahagathbandhan government formed in August 2022 with the RJD, Congress and Left parties. His move came amid growing differences within the alliance and the INDIA bloc.
Hours after resigning, Nitish returned to the BJP-led NDA and took oath as chief minister again, with the BJP joining the new government. Tejashwi Yadav, who was deputy chief minister in the outgoing government, moved to the Opposition.Recalling the 2020 Bihar assembly election campaign, Tejashwi said he had promised 10 lakh government jobs if the RJD came to power. He claimed Nitish Kumar had dismissed the promise as impossible at the time.Tejashwi said the RJD extended support to Nitish Kumar in 2022 on the condition that the government provide 10 lakh jobs. After the Mahagathbandhan government was formed, he said, recruitment notifications were issued for the first two phases of the teacher recruitment examination, and more than three lakh teachers were appointed through the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).He further alleged that when young people demanded jobs after the government change, they were met with police action, including lathi charges and water cannons. Protesters were chased and beaten, he claimed.