Apparently snubbed by ruling alliance partner BJP, the JD(U) now has decided to go solo in the coming Assembly election in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.
The JD(U) had, earlier, demanded 51 seats to contest in Uttar Pradesh.
But, recently while releasing the first list of party candidates for the Uttar Pradesh poll, the BJP categorically said that the party had an alliance with just two parties in the State: Apna Dal-led by Union Minister Anupriya Patel and Sanjay Nishad led-NISHAD (Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal) party.
The BJP did not mention the JD(U) as its ally in Uttar Pradesh. The JD(U) is a ruling alliance partner of the BJP in Bihar and at the Centre as well.
The JD(U) had authorised senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member RCP Singh, who is Union Steel Minister, to hold seat-sharing talks with the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. “But, the BJP did not hold any meeting with Mr. Singh on the issue,” said a senior JD(U) leader, “and that prompted us to go alone in Uttar Pradesh poll”.
“The decision to go solo in Uttar Pradesh poll was now taken after consultation with top party leaders. The party is going to have its meeting on the issue in Lucknow on Tuesday (January 18) and release the first list of party candidates to contest poll there,” said JD(U) principal general secretary and in charge of party in Uttar Pradesh K.C. Tyagi.
Mr. Tyagi would be reaching Lucknow on January 18 to hold a meeting with party candidates and functionaries on the first list.
“The actual number of seats the party will be contesting in Uttar Pradesh is to be decided after consultation with State-level party functionaries and leaders in Uttar Pradesh,” Mr. Tyagi said.
However, Uttar Pradesh JD(U) president Anoop Singh Patel said that party had collected resumes of aspiring candidates for 65 Assembly seats but, “the number may vary after party leaders’ meeting on Tuesday”.
“The JD(U) has no base in Uttar Pradesh, so why should the BJP spare seats to the party? To lose seats?”, asked a senior Bihar BJP leader wishing not to be named. “The JD(U) is contesting polls in States other than Bihar hoping to win a seat here and there to get the tag of a national party, but we cannot afford to lose seats in such way in such a crucial State election,” he added.
Earlier, JD(U)’s parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha had put pressure on the BJP to spare equal number of seats for the Bihar legislative council poll on 24 seats, which is likely to be held in March.
However, State BJP leaders promptly refuted such demand of its ruling alliance partner saying it “holds no significance”.