Ajit denied Rajya Sabha seat by JD-U

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is learnt to have declined the demand of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh for Rajya Sabha nomination after which the maverick jat leader has apparently gone cold on the idea of merger of his party with the JD(U).

Mr Singh, who is known as a merchant bargainer in political circle, is known to be keeping all his options open since Utter Pradesh Assembly elections is still an year away. He is hoping, sources said, to align with a political party which may come to power next year in Lucknow.

Incidentally, JD(U) leader and Rajya Sabha MP K.C. Tyagi had sought to impress upon Mr Nitish Kumar to join hands with Mr Singh. “Mr Kumar has a lot of admiration for jat icon Charan Singh and he liked the idea of merger of the RLD in his party, since he was the prime mover of the Janata Parivar. But he didn’t like the condition of a RS nomination for Mr Singh,” sources in the RLD said.

Sources said that Mr Singh met the Bihar chief minister recently during which he expressed inability to accommodate the jat leader for upcoming biennial elections to the Upper House of the Parliament.

“Nitishji told Ajit Singh that such a condition would not be acceptable to his party, as this time around five seats are getting vacant and all those who are retiring are from JD(U) only,” sources said, adding that Mr Kumar is already faced with challenge to make a lot of political readjustment within his party.

Among the five retiring from the Rajya Sabha in July this year from Bihar are JD(U) leaders Sharad Yadav, K.C. Tyagi, Pavan Varma, Ghulam Rasool Baliyawi and RCP Singh.

The JD(U) can bag only two Upper House seats with its 73 MLAs.