Janata Dal(United) under Nitish decides to become part of NDA, denies split

The Janata Dal(United) headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday passed a resolution at its national executive meeting to become part of the National Democratic Alliance.

Making the announcement, party leader K. C. Tyagi categorically denied that there was any split in the party following differences with senior leader Sharad Yadav. "The JD(U) national executive meeting chaired by party president Nitish Kumar approved a resolution to become part of the NDA," the principal general secretary told reporters.

The national executive also put its seal of approval on the Bihar JD(U)'s unit decision to walk out of the Grand Alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress and join hands with the BJP to form a government in Bihar, Tyagi said.

"BJP president Amit Shah during a meeting with our (JD-U) president Nitish Kumar recently had urged him to bring the JD(U) into the NDA. The national executive committee approved it and now we have become part of NDA," Tyagi said.

Flanked by the party's senior leaders R. C. P. Singh, Harbansh and Pawan Varma among others, he denied that there was any split in the party. Sixteen out of 20 state unit presidents, all its 71 MLAs and 30 MLCs in Bihar and all office bearers of the party committees appointed by Nitish Kumar with the consent of Sharad Yadav were present in the national executive and became part of the decision, he said.

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"So how can there be split in JD(U)?" The party, he said, would wait till August 27, the day of RJD's rally here, before initiating any action against Sharad Yadav. JD(U) will hold an open session during the day in which chief minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar would be present. Sharad Yadav skipped the national executive committee meeting and attended a parallel programme, Jan Adalat, of those loyal to him, including suspended JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar Ansari. The programme promised to continue with the Grand Alliance. Sharad Yadav fell out with Nitish Kumar over his decision to walk out the Grand Alliance.

Meanwhile, BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday welcomed the decision of the JD(U), headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, to join the NDA and said it heralded a "new era of development" in the state. The party on Saturday passed a resolution at its national executive meeting to become part of the NDA. "I welcome the JD(U) decision of joining NDA, as this will not only strengthen the NDA but will also begin a new era of development and growth in Bihar," Shah said.

Source: Timesofoman