PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party Janata Dal-United (JDU) has announced that it won’t be part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) outside Bihar where it shares power with the saffron party.
Bihar’s ruling party said on Sunday that it will contest the upcoming assembly elections in J&K, Jharkhand, Haryana and Delhi alone.
The decision to this effect was taken during the National Executive meeting of the Janata Dal-United, which was attended by all top leaders, MLAs, MLCs, MPs of the party, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
At the conclusion of the National Executive meeting, Nitish Kumar is also likely to announce a road map for the party to expand its base in other states in the days to come.
The meeting comes amid rumours flying high about the rift with NDA of which JD(U) is an ally. However, JD(U) on Friday asserted that NDA in the state was “intact”, dismissing speculation of a rift within the alliance in the wake of the party’s decision to “stay out” of the Narendra Modi government.
Earlier, Nitish Kumar had declined to be part of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre in protest against the “symbolic representation” of one ministerial berth offered to it but refuted suggestions of any difference with its ally.
In the recent general elections, the NDA, comprising BJP, JD(U) and LJP, won 39 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, the best performance by any political formation in the last few decades. Nitish Kumar’s party bagged 16 seats.
The meeting also comes in the backdrop of a series of comments from JD(U)’s opponents in Bihar.
Bureau Report
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