The Hindu : National : JD (U) drifting away from BJP in two States?

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Friday, Oct 29, 2004

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National

JD (U) drifting away from BJP in two States?

By Our Staff Correspondent

PATNA, OCT. 28. Even as it struggled to decide whether or not to continue its relations with the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Janata Dal (United) today hinted that it would contest the coming Assembly election in Bihar and Jharkhand on its own manifesto.

The party spokesman, Anil Pathak, maintained that the former Railway Minister and senior JD(U) leader, Nitish Kumar, was likely to move a resolution to this effect at the national executive meeting in Ranchi tomorrow.

The National Democratic Alliance had contested the recent Lok Sabha elections under a common manifesto.

Mr. Kumar's statement underscores a drift from his party's stand and away from the BJP.

He has been appealing to the Lok Janshakti Party to join hands in a bid to uproot the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Government in Bihar.

However, the party supports the BJP Government in Jharkhand from outside. The JD(U) has been facing dissent in both Bihar and Jharkhand where quite a few MLAs had resigned ahead of the election.

Addressing workers at the conclusion of a three-day camp at Pawapuri, Mr. Kumar expressed his surprise over the BJP chief, L.K. Advani's statement of the party reverting to the Hindutva plank. He said that this would not be tolerated.

The JD(U) chief, George Fernandes, however, was cautious in his approach saying that one would have to look into the context in which Mr. Advani's statement was made. He maintained that the NDA had its own agenda and that it had done nothing to be ashamed of.

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