The Janata Dal (United) has reached out to the RJD for support in the crucial by-poll for two Rajya Sabha seats
Reaching out to the RJD for support in the crucial
by-poll for two Rajya Sabha seats, the JD(U) on June 13 praised Lalu
Prasad and exuded confidence that he would never side with the BJP. “Lalu
Prasad has been fighting against BJP and its communal politics... he
will definitely not do anything that may help BJP in anyway,” said Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan of JD(U). “The RJD supremo will play a positive role in the Rajya Sabha bypoll in Bihar given his averseness to the BJP,” he said.
With
battle lines drawn between the party and rebels who have propped up two
Independent candidates against official nominees with the help of the
BJP, the vote of the RJD would be critical to decide the result.
The
RJD, which has 21 members in Legislative Assembly, whose effective
strength at present is 232, holds the key to election on two seats of
Upper House.
JD(U) has a strength
of 117 including the Speaker. It enjoys the support of four Congress
members, two Independents and one CPI candidate.
Facing stiff challenge to see JD(U) candidates through in the coming
bypoll for two Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar, former Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar on June 14 appealed to arch rival and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, Congress and CPI to make common cause to “foil the game plan of BJP to destabilise the government“.
“I have talked to Lalu Prasad, Congress state chief Ashok Choudhary, its
legislature party leader Sadanand Singh and CPI secretary Rajendra
Singh seeking their support for victory of two JD (U) candidates in the
bypoll to Rajya Sabha in Bihar,” Mr. Kumar told reporters at the JD (U)
headquarters.
The two JD(U) nominees — diplomat—politician Pawan Varma and Gulam
Rasool Balyawi — are facing stiff challenge from independents — real
estate baron Anil Sharma and Sabir Ali who are being backed by party
rebels and BJP in the June 19 bypoll.
Kumar said he has appealed to the three secular parties to foil
BJP’s “design of destabilising the Jitan Ram Manjhi government and
thrust an early election in Bihar”.
Arithmetic is weighing against ruling JD (U) in the bypoll. In Bihar
assembly, whose effective strength at present is 232 due to 11
vacancies, JD (U) has 117 MLAs including the speaker, BJP 84, RJD 21,
Congress 4, Independents 5 and CPI 1.
The victory of JD (U) candidate was guaranteed
but with a large number of its legislators turning rebels and supporting
independents along with BJP, the vote of 21 RJD MLAs holds the key to
the result in the bypoll.
PTI
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