Maharashtra unit of JD(U) will continue to be part of INDIA bloc: Kapil Patil

We have communicated our decision to our top leadership, he told reporters here.The political arithmetic of Maharashtra is different from that of Bihar.

The Maharashtra unit of the Janata Dal (United) will continue to be a part of the opposition's INDIA bloc, a state leader said here on Tuesday.

JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Sunday took oath as chief minister of Bihar for a record ninth time after a dramatic volte-face, ditching the INDIA grouping and forming a new government with the BJP which he had dumped less than 18 months ago.

Party general secretary and Member of Legislative Council Kapil Patil said here that the state JD(U) will continue its link with the INDIA bloc. ''We have communicated our decision to our top leadership,'' he told reporters here.

''The political arithmetic of Maharashtra is different from that of Bihar. The situation is different here. We wish to continue our alliance with the INDIA bloc. We have asked for the Lok Sabha seat of Buldhana (during seat-sharing talks),'' Patil said.