Unhappy with Nitish Kumar joining NDA, Kerala JD(U) chief to resign from Rajya Sabha

Veerendra Kumar says he did not want to continue as the Member of Parliament of the party led by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar

President of the Kerala unit of the Janata Dal (United) M P Veerendra Kumar on Wednesday announced his decision to resign from the Rajya Sabha as he’s unhappy over the party’s decision to join hands with the BJP.

JD (U) party symbol.

Kumar, who is also a media baron, had been sulking since party’s national president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar snapped ties with the Grand Alliance and formed government with the BJP in the eastern state in June this year.

“I have been thinking over it for quite some time. I do not want to continue as a member of the Rajya Sabha from the party headed by Nitish (kumar) who joined the saffron camp overruling our protests,” he said at Kozhikkode in north Kerala.

Kumar said he had communicated his decision to the party’s national president, adding the Kerala unit of the party would function independently.

He, however, did not divulge whether he would float a new party or join the Sharad Yadav faction of the JD (U), whose claim over the party’s poll symbol was rejected by the Election Commission.

Veerendra Kumar became a RS member in March 2016. He is the lone parliamentarian of the party from the southern state.

“We could not digest Nitish’s decision so easily. I think he will repent later for joining the divisive forces,” he said.

He claimed to have delayed taking a call as the Bihar CM had insisted they should not take any decision in a hurry.

Kerala unit of the JD (U) is presently an ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front in the state.

Many leaders of the party are now keen to have a truck with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF). “We haven’t taken a decision on this. We will discuss all options in our next meeting,” Kumar said.

A socialist, Kumar merged his earlier party the Socialist Janata Party with the JD(U) in 2014 and became its state president.

Kumar, who is also a managing director of Mathrubhumi group of publications, was a Union minister in the Deve Gowda-led Central government.