Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party JDU will contest year-end Assembly election independently in Jharkhand. The JDU State unit in this connection will submit a proposal to its central leadership at the party’s national executive meet scheduled in Patna on June 9.
However, the JDU, which has negligible presence in State as the party has neither any MP nor an MLA in State has prepared a strategy for strengthening party in Jharkhand. The party’s strategy for strengthening it will be part of proposal, which will be submitted to the Central leadership.
Sources said that the party decision to contest election independently in State is likely to widen rift between BJP and JDU as differences has erupted between the two parties after JDU refused to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet. In retaliation to BJP’s offer to JDU for inclusion of one Cabinet minister from JDU quota in Union cabinet, Nitish Kumar last week inducted eight new ministers in his government but none of them were from BJP quota. JDU is part of BJP-led NDA both in Centre and Bihar.
JDU Jharkhand unit president and former MP Salkhan Murmu said, “The two back-to-back incidents had left JDU and BJP in unpleasant mode. We have decided not to be dependent on BJP in Assembly polls as we fear that in Assembly poll JDU will be left with one or two seats in Jharkhand. We will submit a proposal to central leadership to contest all 81 seats in Assembly and for this we will start preparations in all 81 seats.”
The JDU State president also said that for strengthening the party, the JDU will carry out a membership drive starting from June 16, which will be launched by Ram Sewak Singh State JDU in-charge and one of the newly inducted ministers in Nitish’s Cabinet. At the same time the JDU has decided to strengthen party at village level with inclusion of at least six members from a village in party fold.
The leader said, “We will go to people on the issue of Nitish model of development. The Nitish model of development has brought changes in Bihar with neighbouring State witnessing all round development. The model has not only accepted and appreciated by people of Bihar but national as well as international media has praised the model of development.”
“We are getting feedback from our workers at the grass roots -level. But the national president will take a final call on the matter whether to go solo or with alliance in Assembly elections,” added Murmu.
According to JDU president, after the rout of opposition parties including JMM, JVM, RJD and Congress in just concluded Lok Sabha elections, there is no alternative to BJP in State. The party focus is to project JDU as alternative to Congress and JMM in State.
The JDU in this connection has decided to reach out to masses especially tribals and Moolvasi to be part of JDU. The State unit of the party has also planned rallies of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar twice or thrice in a month.
Murmu said, “Even after 19 years of creation of Jharkhand, the conditions of people especially tribals and moolvasi has not improved. Our target is to reach out to these tribals and moolvasis.”
The JDU leader claimed that the performance of BJP in five tribal reserved Lok Sabha constituencies is not good as out of five seats, BJP lost two seats while in two other BJP candidates won by slender margin.