The JD(U), which is not averse to contest Assembly polls in five States early next year all by itself `if it does not get a fair deal of seats from the BJP’, on Tuesday authorised its former president R C P Singh, currently a Cabinet Minister in the Narendra Modi Government, to hold talks with the BJP for an alliance between the two parties in Uttar Pradesh.
JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan ‘Lalan’ Singh held a meeting in this regard in which his predecessor was also present, the party said. Lalan Singh had earlier said that the party will contest on select seats in UP.
It will like to contest as part of the BJP-led NDA but will fight on its own if an alliance does not work out, he had said. R C P Singh will hold talks with BJP leaders in this regard, a statement
said.
JD(U) secretary general K C Tyagi and general secretary Afaque Ahmad Khan also attended the meeting.
UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur will elect a new Government early, next year while Gujarat would vote for a new Assembly later in 2022.
One of the key NDA allies at the Centre and Bihar, JD (U) has been in conflict with the BJP on certain issues including the one over its demand for holding a caste-census including that of the OBCs.
The Modi Government has ruled out the caste census as demanded by many Opposition parties including its allies Janata Dal (U) and Apna Dal (S) .
After central rejection of caste-census in an affidavit filed before the
Supreme court, JD (U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar last week again reiterated his party’s demand for the caste-census saying “caste census is legitimate and it is need of the time “.
He would call an all-party meet in Bihar to discuss “the future course of action” on the issue.
The Centre had told the Supreme Court that caste census of backward classes is “administratively
difficult and cumbersome” and excluding such information from the purview of Census is a “conscious policy decision.”
BJP has sought to tiptoe the politically volatile issue saying different parties are free to take an independent stand. BJP spokesman Sudhansu Trivedi sought to say that many BJP allies had a different stand on the issue of Ram temple while his party strongly worked for it.
“On that issue (Ram temple) we and our allies had a different stand. They can have a different stand on this issue (caste census),” the BJP spokesperson said.