At a time when the party is grappling with the ever increasing rebellion within its flock, another senior JD(U) leader Monazir Hassan on Wednesday resigned from the party and joined the BJP. The Opposition BJP again created ruckus in Bihar Assembly over poor law and order situation in the State.
“I have resigned from the primary membership of JD(U) due to constant erosion of inner party democracy within the party,” said Hassan. Though, he did not take name of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as reason for his quitting but said the party has lost its secular and democratic credentials.Hassan, four-time MlA from Munger Assembly constituency and one-time MP from Begusarai parliamentary constituency joined the BJP with his several supporters on Wednesday in presence of senior State party leaders like Shushil Kumar Modi, Nand Kishore Yadav and State BJP president Mangal Pandey.
Hassan had also served as Minister in the RJD regime and in the first Cabinet of Nitish as well. He had also contested the last lok Sabha polls as the JD(U) candidate from Begusarai against BJP’s Bhola Prasad Singh but lost the election miserably.For the JD(U) currently facing serious inter-party rebellion by over two dozen MlAs challenging the authority of Nitish, Hassan’s move has come as a rude shock.
Meanwhile, senior JD(U) leader and Minister in the Manjhi Cabinet Narendra Singh said that after the 2015 State Assembly polls anybody could be the Chief Minister of the State. “Even I or Jitan Ram Manjhi could be the Chief Minister of the State after the next State Assembly poll,” declared Narendra. Two other senior party leaders Bijendra Yadav and Vijay Chaudhury also said that the issue of chief ministership would be decided after the Assembly polls.
The recent statements of senior JD(U) leaders now has created buzz in the political circle of the State that the control of Nitish over party affairs has waned. “These statements could spell new political signal in the State,” said a JD(U) leader adding, it would mature only after some time.Recently as many as 18 JD(U) MlAs had openly voted against two party candidates in the Rajya Sabha bypoll charging that the party has been hijacked by people who have surrounded party leader Nitish from every corner.
Sources close to rebel JD(U) MlAs told The Pioneer that they were in touch with the BJP and could spoil the game of Nitish at the opportune moment.
Meanwhile, the JD(U) has decided to take tough action against the rebel leaders and has recommended for the termination of membership of four of its MlAs from the Bihar Assembly. Rebel leaders even had presented themselves before the Speaker seeking one month time to reply the notice issued against them.
Interestingly, amidst all voice of dissension griping the party, another JD(U) leader and Minister of Excise and land Reforms in the Manjhi Cabinet Ramai Ram too reportedly has raised the banner of revolt. Ram has not been going well with party leadership for sometime and at occasions he had come face to face with top party leaders.
Two days back he was apparently pushed to the corner by Nitish, who in presence of some party MlAs sternly told Ram that he has to listen the party MlAs first. “You are forth the MlA and then the Minister … at all cost you've to listen what the party MlAs say,” Nitish told Ram.Ram, who was also a Minister in the previous RJD regime, though, without taking name of the former Bihar Chief Minister, said that some people were the Chief Minister of the State even without being elected as an MlA.
Meanwhile, Opposition BJP legislators created ruckus in the Bihar Assembly for third consecutive day over poor law and order situation. The protesting BJP legislators claimed that law and order has completely collapsed in the State.“We have expressed our serious concern over safety and security of common people as poor law and order is result of the Government failure,” charged leader of Opposition Nand Kishore Yadav. He also said that the terror of former RJD MP Mohammed Shahabuddin once again has started haunting people of Siwan.
“Jab se JD(U) aur RJD ka gathbandhan hua hai Siwan mein ek bar phir se Shahabuddin ka terror laut raha hai,” said Yadav. He also mentioned that recently a murder had taken place in Siwan in which Shahabuddin and his son were named as prime accused.Interestingly, when the BJP leaders were protesting against the ruling party, RJD MlA Bhai Dinesh invited attention towards him as he was wearing garland of onions, potatoes and fruits.
“I had made my intentions clear that I would garland the first BJP MlA I come across today in the Assembly as it is BJP which is in power at the Centre and so responsible for the unchecked price rise all over the country,” said the RJD MlA from Jagdishpur Assembly constituency of Bhojpur. But when he could not succeed in garlanding any BJP MlA the RJD MlA himself wore it and roamed around in the assembly premises drawing attention from one and all.
“I wore it as I am also from the public. It is the common man who bears the brunt of price rise and there is nobody taking the responsibility,” he said.