JD-U rebels to hold national meet

New Delhi, August 22

Rebel JD-U leaders led by Sharad Yadav will call a “national council” meeting and approach the Election Commission to stake claim as the “real” party, Arun Shrivastava, a close aide of Yadav, said today.

His announcement came days after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led faction called a national council meeting of the party, which was attended by all MLAs as well as all but three members of Parliament, in Patna. It endorsed Kumar’s decision to ally with the BJP and accepted the invitation to join the NDA.

“We will call a meeting of national council. Many leaders and state units are with us. We will approach the EC as we are the real party,” Shrivastava said. Shrivastava, who was sacked from the post of general secretary following Yadav’s rebellion, also hit out at Kumar over his remarks that he had spent two hours with the then party chief George Fernandes to persuade him to send Yadav to the Rajya Sabha after his loss in 2004 Lok Sabha poll.

“Such remarks do not behove a party president. He should remember that it is Sharad Yadav who helped him (Kumar) get Assembly and LS ticket. Yadav funded his campaign,” he claimed.

He was referring to late 70s and early 80s when Yadav was among the better known socialist leaders at the national level. Yadav had never attacked Kumar by name and the Bihar CM should also have maintained this decorum, he said.

Shrivastava also alleged that the claims of JD-U leaders that over 95 per cent of the office bearers were with Kumar were wrong. — PTI