JD-U falls apart as Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar change their loyalty




Sharad Yadav meeting people in Bihar

Once again Camera is focused on Bihar. The political drama that unfolded on the day Nitish Kumar switched boat to continue his Chief Ministerial journey from grand alliance to NDA, keeps on attracting the focus of National Media.

Why not? After all so much is happening amid twists and turns; attacks and counter attacks. Latest being the arrival of Sharad Yadav in the political battlefield.

For days, showing displeasure against JDU’s alignment with BJP, Sharad Yadav went on to mount strike with whatever arsenal he possessed against his own party.

A while back, in the victory of Congress leader, Ahmad Patel, which is seen as one of the toughest contested elections for a Rajya Sabha seat in recent years, JDU’s one vote played a crucial role. Experts are of the view that Sharad Yadav has considerable hold on JDU leaders functioning outside Bihar and it is he who persuaded the Gujarat MLA to vote in favour of Patel.

The RS election drew unprecedented importance after BJP president and chief strategist, Amit Shah made it a prestige issue to negate Sonia Gandhi’ political adviser his fifth term in the upper house. Much to the embarrassment of JDU, their sole member voted against the NDA’s candidate defying party stand.

On his arrival, the veteran leader has opened a new front against Bihar CM Nitish Kumar parallel to the ongoing ‘Janadesh Apman March‘ of former deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. Landing in Patna on Thursday, the JDU RS MP who comes from Madhya Pradesh turned to full-fledged tirade against Nitish Kumar and JDU.  He said that the JDU joining hands with BJP is ‘betrayal of the mandate’.

Yadav further said that he sacrificed the Satta (power) in the respect of voters’ belief which was with Grand alliance and the purpose of his current visit is to assure people of the state that he will abide by their faith. According to reports, immediately after alliance with JDU, few BJP leaders met with Sharad Yadav and offered him a ministerial berth in central cabinet which he refused. He further claimed that the original JDU is with him and he is still part of the Grand Alliance.

Meanwhile, JDU has suspended RS MP Ali Anwar Ansari from the party for attending an opposition meet convened by the Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. According to reports, Sharad Yadav took the responsibility and said that he sent Ansari to the meeting.

RJD from the beginning, understandably, is rallying behind Sharad Yadav. Lalu Yadav on the day Nitish left grand alliance invited him to Bihar to lead anti BJP campaign in the state. Although Sharad Yadav alone is neither such a game changing factor, nor he has mass base as the likes of Lalu Yadav but as a veteran parliamentarian and astute politician he brings on the table skills and experience that is valuable.

According to a senior political analyst “Lalu Yadav’s RJD has once again become Sharad’s natural ally because of caste arithmetic after Nitish deserted the grand alliance. Lalu also needs credible faces, at least for the moment, therefore Sharad Yadav, being a nuance back room politician can be an asset.”

Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar has said that he (Sharad Yadav) is free to take his decision. Until now showing restrain in its reaction against the old guard, JDU, in a latest development, replaced Sharad Yadav with Nitish’s close aide RCP Singh as the leader of Upper House.

On the other hand, it has been said that a section of JDU leaders in Bihar is close to Sharad Yadav who are said to be waiting for his next move to join in the venture. However, considering the anti defection law which stipulate that the support of two thirds MLA’s (In case of JDU 48 out of 71) is necessary to formalise a split in a legislature party, no major shuffle is expected anytime soon.

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