No show by top JD(U) leaders in UP polls campaign so far
The party has fielded candidates in 29 constituencies after its ally Bharatiya Janata Party rejected its offer for the tie-up
Top Janata Dal (United) leaders from Bihar have so far abstained from campaigning in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, where the party has fielded candidates in 29 constituencies after its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rejected its offer for the tie-up.
While chief minister Nitish Kumar, listed by his party JD(U) as a star campaigner, is yet to join electioneering in UP, his water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha and rural development minister Shravan Kumar have campaigned for three candidates in the fray till the third round of polling, which ended on Sunday.
Other JD(U) star campaigners, like its national president Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh and Union minister RCP Singh, too are yet to join electioneering.
On the other hand, Mukesh Sahni, who founded and heads Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP), a constituent of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, has been spending a good deal of time in the neighbouring state to campaign for 54 candidates it has fielded so far.
“I am not sure of numbers, but our nominees will certainly queer the pitch for around 30 seats for BJP in the Ganga river belt,” claimed Sahni, who is also a minister in the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar.
Mrityunjay Tiwari, spokesperson for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the main opposition party in Bihar, ridiculed JD(U)’s bid to contest the UP polls. “JD(U) has been reduced to number three in the assembly of Bihar, where it grew up. Big leaders of the party are not venturing in the UP as they are apprehensive of the people’s apathy towards the party,” he said.
Former MLA and Congress leader Harkhu Jha said, “JD(U) has no intent to dent BJP’s vote, though it often finds itself in the firing life of its big partners in Bihar.”