Janata Dal (United) president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will skip the silver jubilee foundation day function of the Samajwadi party here on November 5. The JD (U) alliance partner –the Rashtriya janata Dal chief lalu Prasad Yadav has however confirmed participation in the Samajwadi Party foundation day function.
The absence of the Bihar chief minister would dent Mulayam Singh Yadav’s efforts to forge a anti BJP secular grand alliance on the patter of Bihar ahead of the assembly elections in UP, by parading prominent leaders on one platform here on November 5.
Though Nitish Kumar has close rapport with the state SP president Shivpal Yadav, he is unhappy with the chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for his reluctance to consider his proposal for the ban on alcohol in UP. Nitish Kumar with prime ministerial aspirations and to find a foothold in UP, has aggressively campaigned in the state since May last to mobilise support for the prohibition policy. Nitish Kumar is also said to be miffed with Akhilesh Yadav for the reluctance of the UP government to curb the rampant smuggling of the liquor from the border districts of UP to Bihar. Moreover large number of liquor vends have sprung up all along the border of Bihar with UP where tipplers from Bihar throng to have their quota of alcohol.
lalu’s close aide and state president of the RJD Ashok Singh on Tuesday confirmed the participation of his boss in the SP meeting at lucknow. He said that the Samajwadi party in passing through a phase of power struggle and the RJD does not want to be seen with any one side in this feud.
The state president of the JD (U) Suresh Niranjan said that Nitish Kumar would not be able to make it to 5 November event at lucknow due to Chhath festival. He said ``Chhath festival for the people of Bihar and the Nitish Kumar will have to face criticism if he goes out of Bihar on that day’’.
Asked while lalu Prasad is going for SP event and absence of Nitish Kumar would trigger difference among them, JD (U) leader said “we have strong coalition of JD (U), RJD and Congress in Bihar, but it does not mean that the three should have similar point of view on all the issues.” He added `` lalujee is related to Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family and as such he can exercise his own discretion”.
The JD(U) leader however did not miss the opportunity to express his resentment over the conduct of the Samajwadi party which first backtracked on its promise for the merger of the six parties of the janata Parivar and later the SP walked out of the grand alliance in September 2015 ahead of the crucial Bihar assembly elections.
“Nitish Kumar had made a sincere efforts for merger and everybody had agreed to merge under the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav, but it did not succeed the reasons for which is known to everyone,” he said adding ``Today’s circumstances are different,” he said in an oblique reference to soaring popularity graph of Nitish Kumar after Bihar victory due to which he is considered as a potential candidate for Prime Ministerial post in 2019 lok Sabha poll.
Recently, Nitish Kumar at JD(U) National Council meet at Rajgir in Bihar had made an overture to CM Akhilesh Yadacv to enforce prohibition in UP, which would help him come out of “shadow of family” and also help win poll himself. Kumar had also pledged support to young Akhilesh Yadav in such a situation.