The Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday opened its account in the Maharashtra legislative Council, following the merger of the lok Bharti Party with it. State legislative Council Chairman Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar made a formal announcement, recognising the merger of the lok Bharti Party with the JD(U).
The JD (U) will be represented by senior legislator Kapil Patil, who is serving his second term as a member elected from the Mumbai Teachers’ constituency. Patil, who is the lone member of his party in the Upper House of the Maharashtra legislature, has been appointed as the convenor of Maharashtra JD (U) unit.
Talking to The Pioneer here in the evening, Patil said that the State JD(U) would organise a grand function at Goregaon in north Mumbai on April 22 to launch the party’s formal entry in Maharashtra. “Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will address a large public rally on the occasion,” he said.
“Beginning April 10, many senior JD(U) leaders from Bihar will start touring the State. They will hold meetings with social workers, political labour and trade union leaders. We are in touch with several big names who may join our party at the April 22 function,” Patil said.
The JD (U)’s launch in Maharashtra should be seen in the backdrop of the efforts being made by its leaders to project 66-year old Nitish Kumar as the PM candidate for the 2019 lok Sabha polls.
Apart from being a party that is ruling Bihar in alliance with the RJD and Congress, the JD (U) has organisational presence in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Karnataka and Kerala.