JD(U) is firmly with NDA, says senior party leader Lalan Singh

Scotching rumours of JD(U) quittingNDA in Bihar amid talks of discomfort with the ally BJP, theruling Janata Dal(United) on Sunday made it clear that theparty is firmly with the ruling coalition in the state.

JD(U), one of the major constituents of Bihar NDA, isrunning a coalition government in the state with the help ofBJP, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vikassheel Insaan Party(VIP).

''Speculations are doing the rounds in media circles withregard to our leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Somesends him somewhere while others are sending him somewhereelse.

''But, we would like to make it clear that our party (JD-U)is firmly aligned with the NDA,'' senior party leader and MPRajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh said.

Singh was talking to reporters at the partys stateheadquarters on decisions taken at the two-day meeting of itsstate executive and state council.

He was accompanied by partys newly elected statepresident Umesh Kushwaha and working president and ministerAshok Choudhary.

Singhs statement assumes significance in the backdrop ofopposition leaders speaking of political instability in thestate in view of alleged lack of compatibility between the twomajor NDA partners- BJP and JD(U).

Eversince en masse migration of the JD(U) MLAs inArunachal Pradesh to the BJP, speculations are rife of''differences'' cropping up between the two allies even inBihar on several issues.

Seeking to fish in troubled waters, the opposition RJD andthe Congress have been talking of mass defection of the JD(U)MLAs and some of their leaders also suggesting Nitish Kumar toleave the saffron party once again like in 2015 and join them.

Kumar had himself, while speaking at the state councilmeeting Saturday, asserted that his government would completeits five year term, in an indirect rebuff to oppositionleaders who have been speaking of political instability.

The JD(U) de facto leader, who relinquished the post ofthe partys national president earlier this month, had alsourged his party workers to look at the future banishingmemories of the recent assembly elections in which the partysuffered humiliating losses.

Talking about partys other decisions and proposals thatwere passed at the state council meeting, Singh, who is JD(U)leader in Lok Sabha, said the party also discussed aboutstrengthening its organisation.

''It was general opinion of the party members that thoughthe partys strength has dwindled but not its mass base(janadhar). We are not discouraged by it (the poll outcome)...

we will rather work hard to further strengthen our partysorganisation and move ahead,'' Singh said.

Though JD(U)'s top leader Nitish Kumar is on the chiefministerial chair in Bihar, the party's strength went down to43 in the recently concluded state polls as compared to 71 in2015.

On the other hand BJP bagged 74 seats in the October-November elections and catapulted the NDA to power in thestate.

The party also lauded the state governments role incombating novel coronavirus in the state which efficiently andeffectively took measures to curb its spread, he said whilestating that the state governments efforts have beenappreciated by the central government which is evident fromthe fact that President conferred award on the stategovernment.

It may be noted that President Ram Nath Kovind had onDecember 30, 2020 conferred 'Digital India Award 2020' fortransferring financial assistance directly into thebeneficiaries bank accounts during COVID-19 pandemiclockdown.

A resolution was passed at the meeting affirming that theparty will unitedly work to implement the state governments'Saat Nischay- Part II' (seven resolves-part 2) programme inorder to make Bihar a strengthened, prosperous and selfreliant state, the JD(U) leader said.

Stating that the state government has started working on toprovide 20 lakh jobs to youths of the state, Singh said thatsoon after the formation of Nitish Kumar government in thestate, it gave its nod to create 20 lakh jobs in the veryfirst meeting of the cabinet.

''The state government is working on it'', he said whileasserting that 20 lakh jobs will be created in times to comeand 20 lakh youths will get jobs.

Employment was a major poll promises of main politicalparties in Bihar polls.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's 10 lakh government jobspromise enthused youths during the polls. To counter this theBJP had promised creation of 1.9 million job opportunities inthe state.