One or two member can’t divide us, says JD(U)

New Delhi: One or two members can’t divide the JD(U), party spokesperson K.C. Tyagi said on Saturday, hours after senior leader Sharad Yadav was removed by the party as its leader in the Rajya Sabha.

He said Mr Yadav had already chosen a path which “leads to the RJD”. Regarding the claim of the supporters of Mr Yadav that various state units of the party were against the alliance with the BJP in Bihar, he said the JD(U) was a recognised political party only in the eastern state. “All the party MLAs and MLCs from Bihar are with us. They have reposed their faith in the chief minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar. A member or two cannot divide the party, all such claims of a split are false,” said Mr Tyagi.

Acknowledging Mr Yadav’s seniority in the party, the JD(U) leader said, “Sharadji is one of the founding members of the party, but it pains us that the path chosen by him leads to our rival, the Rashtriya Janata Dal.” He added that it was “shocking” that Mr Yadav was “cosying up” to RJD chief Lalu Yadav, against whom he  fought “throughout his career”.

Mr Tyagi said Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar Ansari was removed from the JD(U) parliamentary party because of “anti-party” activities. “He (Ansari) has no moral right to attack us on the issue of joining hands with the BJP as he himself had been elected to the Upper House with the support of their MLAs.”

Earlier in the day, the JD(U) replaced Mr Yadav with R.C.P. Singh as its leader in the Rajya Sabha. They met newly-appointed Rajya Sabha chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and submitted a letter to him, announcing the appointment of Mr Singh, a close aide of Mr Kumar.