By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: With reinstatement of Prof. Ghulam Ghaus as Opposition Leader of Bihar Legislative Council (Upper House) recently, a new history was written in the state: It is the first time when the post of Opposition Leader in both Houses of Bihar legislature is being held by Muslims. Abdul Bari Siddiqui, who also comes from Ghaus’s party RJD, is Opposition Leader in Bihar Legislative Assembly.
Former state Minister and RJD MLA Siddiqui is heading Opposition in Assembly while Ghulam Ghaus, who has served as Opposition Leader in the Council from 2005 to 2010, has started his new inning of the same post.
Abdul Bari Siddiqui
Though RJD has only 22 members in the current Assembly, Abdul Bari Siddiqui is executing the job of a strong and effective Opposition Leader which made the RJD presence felt in the House, and in the state. Besides using his own chances to quiz the government on several issues, he does not miss the opportunities of sub-question in the House. Interestingly, he does not raise the issue verbally and lightly, rather he argues equipped with facts and documents; therefore he made government speechless several times.
Abdul Bari Siddiqui
It is said that after many years Bihar Assembly has got strong Opposition Leader in the form of Mr. Siddiqui. Even Chief Minister Mr. Nitish Kumar has admitted that Mr. Siddiqui does not leave any stone unturned to attack on the government.
Abdul Bari Siddiqui, who was the part of Jayaprakash Narayan’s movement in the 1970s, is a close friend of and loyal to RJD Chief Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav. He is among big faces of RJD as well as Muslim leaders in the state.
He represented Bahera constituency in Darbhanga district thrice (1995 to 2010) and in 2010 Assembly Election he won from Alinagar constituency in the same district. Lalu Prasad fielded Mr. Siddiqui as party candidate of Madhubani constituency in 2009 Lok Sabha Election against Dr. Shakeel Ahmad of Congress and Hukum Deo Narayan Yadav of BJP. Though he lost to Hukum Deo with a margin of 4000 votes, he proved his popularity by pushing Dr. Shakeel Ahmad, who won the seat two times, at No. 3.
The 63-year-old Mr. Siddiqui held various portfolios in Lalu-Rabri regime since 1995 to 2005. Besides, he also served as Bihar president of RJD for three consecutive terms.
In 2010 Assembly Election RJD faced embarrassing defeat by getting only 22 seats out of 243. Many big RJD leaders lost their seats including former Opposition Leader Rabri Devi and her deputy Shakeel Ahmad Khan, but Mr. Siddiqui won and thus he was given the responsibility of Opposition Leader which he is carrying on successfully and effectively.
Prof. Ghulam Ghaus
On the other hand Prof. Ghulam Ghaus, who is nephew of late freedom fighter and ex- Minister and Speaker of Bihar Assembly Mr. Ghulam Sarwar, also did well in his job as Opposition Leader in Legislative Council in his first term.
Prof. Ghulam Ghaus
Three-time MLC Mr. Ghaus faced some difficulties to retain the post for the second term as the ruling alliance of JDU-BJP was not willing to accept him as Opposition Leader. Before Bihar Assembly Elections in Oct-Nov 2010, RJD recommended his name for the post but chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council, Tara Kant Jha put the issue on hold until elections were over. But even several months after the elections and despite written application by Abdul Bari Siddiqui to the chairman demanding appointment of Mr. Ghulam Ghaus as Opposition Leader it did not happen.
However, as Bihar Legislative Council was going to organize centenary celebration on 22 March 2011, which was attended by President Pratibha Singh Patil, Mr. Tara Kant Jha on 18 March announced that RJD member, Ghulam Ghaus, has been made Leader of the Opposition in the House.
[Photo: viewpatna]