The Bihar BJP on Wednesday got a jolt when former party State president and ex-chairman of the State legislative Council, Tarakant Jha joined the JD(U) while lashing out at a party’s senior State leader. Jha, though, reaffirmed his faith in the leadership of BJP’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi and with RSS ideologies.
Jha who has been the tallest leader of the Bihar BJP from Mithilanchal area and also a founder member of the party joined the ruling party while praising the leadership qualities of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his efforts for the development of the State.
“Yes, I’ve joined JD(U) under the leadership of Nitish Kumar but I’ve had no problem with the leadership of Narendra Modi as well…I still have my faith in the ideologies of RSS,” said the sexagenarian leader. He also clarified that he was, in fact, unhappy with senior State BJP leader Shushil Kumar Modi for his style of functioning.
“I don’t have any problem with NaMo but yes, I’ve problem with the way SuMo functions in Bihar BJP,” rued Tarakant Jha who also has been a senior Patna High Court lawyer and had played a key role in inclusion of Maithali language in the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution by submitting altogether 27 lakh signatures for the same to the President of India.
Jha joined the JD(U) in presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, State party chief Basistha Narayan Singh, Sanjay Jha and other top party leaders. However, it is being said that Jha was unhappy with the State unit of the party for a long time apparently for being sidelined and not being elected for Council from the party quota.
“Yes, despite his being in the party for the last six decades he has been consistently sidelined by a particular party leader and was not given the due respect…he was having no choice left for him so he left,” said a State BJP leader close to Jha. However, senior State BJP leader Shushil Kumar Modi told mediapersons that it was he who had brought Jha back to party in 2005 after he was being expelled from the party.
“Tara Babu was expelled from the party twice and it was me who had brought him back to the party in 2005. He was being made the Sate party chief and also chairman of the State council twice,” said Shushil Modi. Shushil Modi also said it was good that party leaders like Tara Babu who has been the supporters of our party’s PM nominee Narendra Modi were joining JD(U). “I wish that some three-four more NaMo supporter BJP leaders would join JD(U) so that NaMo’s road to success will be smoothen further,” he added further.
Modi, however, also expressed hope that Tara Babu would return again to the party fold soon. “Tara Babu phir se party mein lautenge…BJP chod kar who kahi aur nahi rah sakte bahut dino tak”, hoped the State BJP leader.