The faction-ridden JD(U) is staring at a major trouble just a couple of days ahead of the crucial Rajya Sabha elections for two seats from the State. Over two dozen JD(U) MlAs skipped the legislature party meeting even as a separate meet of the RJD to decide on whether to support Nitish Kumar’s party remained inconclusive.
The meeting was called by party president lalu Prasad to decide over support to JD(U) candidates in upcoming RS bypoll on two seats. The RJD MlAs would be meeting again on Wednesday to take the final call.The RJD MlAs marathon meeting at the official residence of former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, 10 Circular Road went on for over three hours but the much expected news played elusive for the waiting media persons and members of political corridor.
“The party MlAs authorised the party president lalu Prasad to take the final decision over the issue. But, on Wednesday afternoon we’re meeting again to take the final call,” said RJD MlA and senior leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui after coming out from the meeting.As many as four RJD MlAs including Kedar Singh and Bhai Dinesh could not attend the meeting for different reasons. Party leaders said that two of the absent party leaders would be present in meeting tomorrow.
Meanwhile, party sources said that the RJD chief lalu Prasad was in favour of extending support to the JD(U) candidates in the RS bypoll but most of his party legislators were against it.“Most of the party MlAs were not in the favour of extending the support to the JD(U) candidates in the RS bypoll so the final decision was not taken today (on Tuesday).. we’ve authorised our party president to take the final decision over this issue and we all are united on this view,” said a party MlA preferring anonymity.
On the absence of JD(U) MlAs, party chief Sharad Yadav said, “I’ve not counted how many of the party MlAs were missing from the meeting... but the party legislators have been told to vote for the two candidates and I’m quite confident that they will sail through.”Sharad Yadav earlier was elected unopposed in the RS bypoll from the seat vacated by lJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan. There was no Independent candidate put on against Sharad Yadav.
The JD(U), though received a shot in the arm when one of the rebel party MlA Annu Shukla on Tuesday declared that she would vote for the candidate her party leader Nitish Kumar would ask for. Earlier, the party had declared to take action against Annu Shukla and another rebel party MlA Renu Kushwaha apparently to put pressure on them to vote for the JD(U) candidates in RS bypoll.
Renu Kushwaha who was earlier suspended from the party had appealed in the Patna High Court against party’s action against her. The JD(U) leaders though hoped that many more rebel MlAs would return to the party and vote for the candidate on Thursday.Meanwhile, the BJP MlAs would be meeting on Wednesday to take the final decision over support to the candidates in the RS poll fray. The senior State BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said that his party had been keeping a close watch on the development taking place on this issue but “his party will take the final decision on Wednesday”.
Earlier, the JD(U) leaders had charged the BJP leaders for vitiating the political atmosphere of the State and pushing it into the State of confusion over the support to the candidates in the upcoming RS bypoll.The RS bypoll for two seats has apparently become a prestige issue for the political parties to the extent that it forced former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to dial to his arch rival lalu Prasad to seek his support. Both the leaders, earlier, were not losing any opportunity to attack each other and even were not on talking terms for over two decades.The suspense now continues till Wednesday, quipped a BJP leader.