The Janata Dal (United) on Sunday resolved to replicate the Bihar model of anti-BJP alliances in the five states scheduled to go to elections next year.
In a resolution adopted at a meeting of the party’s national executive, the JD(U) appealed to regional political parties to unite against the BJP in the run up to the assembly elections scheduled next year in states including West Bengal, Assam and Kerala.
“Time was when socialist ideologue Dr Ram Manohar Lohia had given the anti-Congress call. But in the current political context, it has become the need of the hour for secular and democratic forces to unite against the BJP,” party spokesman KC Tyagi said at the end of the day’s meeting.
The JD(U) has also decided to apply for a new election symbol. “Our party symbol is similar to that of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Shiv Sena which worked to our disadvantage in the recently-held assembly elections in Bihar. We lost some seats by a nominal margin on account of the confusion over the symbol. Therefore, the party has decided to approach the Election Commission for a new symbol. Party president Sharad Yadav has been authorised to take steps in this regard,” Tyagi said.
Saying the party’s decision to disassociate from the NDA in June 2013 had received the stamp of approval from the Bihar electorate, the JD(U) leader said their strength in the assembly may have come down from 118 to 70 but it had won the ideological war against the BJP.
{{/usCountry}}Saying the party’s decision to disassociate from the NDA in June 2013 had received the stamp of approval from the Bihar electorate, the JD(U) leader said their strength in the assembly may have come down from 118 to 70 but it had won the ideological war against the BJP.
{{/usCountry}}Attended by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav among others, the meeting recalled the contribution of former president APJ Abdul Kalam and paid homage, among others, to Kannada author MM Kalburgi and Professor Narendra Dabholkar.