Sharad to flex his muscles through parallel meet on Saturday

Mangalore Today News Network

Patna, Aug 18 2017, DH News: On a day when Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar will preside over the party’s national executive committee meeting here in the State Capital, rebel MP Sharad Yadav will hold a parallel convention during the same time at another venue on Saturday.

While Nitish is likely to move and adopt a resolution to formally join the BJP-led NDA, Sharad will hold a ‘Jan Adalat’ at SK Memorial Hall in Patna with his “real JD (U) members” highlighting how Nitish has shown utter disregard to the mandate of 2015 Assembly polls.

Buoyed by the successful show of strength in New Delhi on Thursday where Sharad brought all major Opposition parties under one umbrella, the former JD (U) president and senior Rajya Sabha member is flexing his muscles to prove he is no George Fernandes who could be pushed to the margins.

“Just wait till Saturday. You will see over 3000 party leaders and workers throughout the country participating in the meet convened by Sharad ji,” said another rebel JD (U) leader Arun Srivastava, who was last week suspended as the JD (U) general secretary.

The Sharad faction had earlier claimed to be the “real JD (U)” while the one being led by Nitish was termed as “sarkari JD (U)”.

“Nitish Kumar has himself claimed that his party was confined to Bihar only. While ours is the original JD (U) with the backing of 14 State units,” said Srivastava.

It is pertinent to mention here that in October 2003, Nitish’s pocket organisation Samata Party was merged with the Janata Dal headed by Sharad Yadav. Veteran Socialist George Fernandes was appointed as the president of the merged party - the JD (U). Later Sharad replaced an ailing George.

Currently, Nitish is the national president of the JD (U) and has convened its national executive committee meeting on August 19. The important meet is likely to see suspension of its former party president Sharad Yadav.

On Monday, the JD (U) had suspended 21 Sharad loyalists for anti-party activities, thereby giving clear signal what was in the store for the Saturday meet.