PATNA: Janata Dal (United) has decided to go alone in 2017 UP assembly elections. Enthused by the impressive turnout at its national president and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's recent public meetings near Ghazipur, Varanasi and Mirzapur, the party has decided not to go for any merger or pre—poll alliance with other parties.
Addressing an internal meeting here, Nitish categorically told the party functionaries that JD(U) would not waste more time on holding talks for merger or pre-poll alliance and go alone in the UP assembly polls.The JD(U) president also asked the party functionaries to be ready to devote some time in different assembly constituencies of Uttar Pradesh after the completion of ongoing membership drive of parties in Bihar. "After the completion of membership drive, senior party functionaries from Bihar will be allotted constituency-wise task in UP.
Some may have to camp there," A JD(U) senior leader who attended the internal meeting told TOI quoting Nitish Kumar.The internal meeting, held at the Bihar CM's residence at 7 Circular Road here, was convened to review progress made by the district chiefs in membership drive launched since June 5. The meet was presided over by JD(U) Bihar unit president Bashishtha Narain Singh.Referring to the 'failed' talk with Ajit Singh's RLD, Nitish told party men that the merger talk was, in fact, initiated at the request of Ajit Singh.
"The RLD chief had also sent a close relative to my residence during Holi festival to enhance the tie between the two parties. But later on, Ajit Singh himself withdrew," Nitish said."Prior to that we made efforts to bring six parties of old Janata parivar under one banner.
We all including Lalu ji, accepted Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav as our leader. But Mulayam himself backtracked without consulting us. At the request of Lalu Ji, I tried to contact Mulayam Singh ji on phone.
But he took unilateral decision even before my call," Nitish told party men as to how his attempt to merge six parties of erstwhile Janata Party failed.He said, the BJP leadership was worried seeing the large turnout of common people at JD(U)'s recent public events in UP. "They (BJP people) are more perturbed because my forthcoming anti-liquor rally in NOIDA area on June 29 is being organised by those people who had wholeheartedly worked for the saffron party in 2014 Lok Sabha polls," Nitish said.
