Ahead of the national executive committee meeting of the Janata Dal (United), both factions led by party chief Nitish Kumar and former party president Sharad Yadav pasted posters in Patna on Friday claiming to be real JD(U) and that the grand alliance continued in the State. Last week the Nitish Kumar faction sacked Mr. Yadav as its Rajya Sabha leader for opposing the party’s alliance with the BJP.
Mr. Kumar-led JD(U) will hold a meeting of party national executive and members of council at CM’s official residence, while the Sharad Yadav-led JD(U) is scheduled to hold meeting at S.K. Memorial Hall on Saturday in Patna.
Earlier, principal general secretary and Rajya Sabha member K.C. Tyagi told media persons that the party would take action against Mr. Yadav after August 27. “If he attends the proposed rally called by the RJD in Patna on August 27…party will take action against him,” said Mr. Tyagi. It is also said that the JD(U) may join the NDA at the party’s national executive committee meeting on Saturday.
The posters of both the factions were being put up side by side in Patna with huge pictures of Nitish and Sharad. In one of the posters, pictures of two suspended party leaders Ali Anwar and Ramai Ram are visible alongside Sharad.
“Jan Adalat ka Faisla — Mahagathbandhan jari hai [decision of the people’s court — the grand alliance continues],” said the poster.
Another had Mr. Kumar with party leaders State JD(U) chief Basistha Narayan Singh, RCP Singh and other local leaders. “Jan jan se aa rahi phir pukar, Nitish Kumar hi zindabad [once again the call of people, only Nitish Kumar zindabad],” said one of the posters while welcoming the party delegates in Patna.
21 suspended
Earlier, the JD(U) had suspended 21 party leaders, including Ramai Ram and Arjun Yadav, for participating in Mr. Yadav’s recent three-day “direct interaction with people” programme in Bihar.
“Earlier, we had decided to attend the party’s meeting on August 19 but as we have all been suspended one by one and they repeatedly disrespected Sharadji, we called a separate meeting in Patna,” Mr. Ali Anwar told presspersons. Mr. Anwar was the first JD(U) leader and Rajya Sabha member who had expressed his displeasure at the party’s decision to come out of the grand alliance and join hands with the BJP. He said if required, they would approach the Election Commission to seek the party symbol and the name.
‘A dictator’
Another sacked JD(U) leader and close aide of Mr. Yadav, Arun Srivastava, alleged that “Nitish Kumar had become a dictator as he never discussed anything with any senior leader in the party…more than Nitish we worked hard to build JD(U).” Their faction, he said, had the support of 14 State units. However, the Nitish group leaders took a dig at Mr. Sharad Yadav wondering what his political stature in Bihar was without the support of a tainted leader like Lalu Prasad. “With the support of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Sharad Yadav is touring Bihar and holding meetings…he always has been a political pillion rider in the State…not even a single village head from his constituency Madhepura is with him today,” said JD(U) leader and party spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.
Mamata’s tweet
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday congratulated Mr. Sharad Yadav for organising the “save composite culture” event in Delhi. “Sharad Yadav Ji congratulations for the event u organized in Delhi. We were glad to be a part of it. Unitedly we will fight for the cause,” Ms. Banerjee tweeted.