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JD(U) seeks ‘respectable’ share in union cabinet
PATNA Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), the second largest constituent of the BJP-led NDA at the Centre, on Saturday said alliance partners ought to have a “respectable” share in the Union council of ministers
PATNA
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), the second largest constituent of the BJP-led NDA at the Centre, on Saturday said alliance partners ought to have a “respectable” share in the Union council of ministers.
JD(U)’s national president R C P Singh, a protege that Kumar handpicked last year to head the party, said he was aware of a possible expansion of the union cabinet. “JD(U) is a constituent of the NDA and should get preference in representation in cabinet expansion. Allies should get due respect in a coalition,” he told reporters in Patna.
At present, JD(U) has no representation in the union cabinet. In the 2019 parliamentary polls, JD(U) won 16 seats in Bihar while ally BJP had won 17 seats. Six seats were won by the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of Ram Vilas Paswan while one went to the Congress.
Kumar’s party, however, did not join the union cabinet, apparently unhappy over being offered just a “token representation”.
Currently, there are five union ministers from Bihar, all from BJP. LJP patriarch Ram Vilas Paswan was also a minister till his death last year.
JD(U) insiders said the party, which became the second largest constituent in the NDA at the Centre after the departure of 18-member strong Shiv Sena, could ask for three cabinet-rank berths and two ministers of state. Contenders include MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh and party’s Rajya Sabha member Ramnath Thakur.
However, a section of leaders in JD(U) said the decision to join the union cabinet would depend much on whether an offer is also made to LJP. “if LJP gets representation in the union cabinet, JD(U) might not join,” a senior leader, not wishing to be identified, said.
LJP, now led by Jamui MP Chirag Paswan, had fielded 100 candidates in the Bihar Assembly elections last year. JD(U) has blamed the party for damaging its prospects severely. While BJP won 74 seats, JD(U) ended up with just 43. This was the first time in the state that JDU)’s tally was less than ally BJP.
Since then, JD(U) and LJP have been at loggerheads.
