While the merger of Janata Parivar has been put on hold until the Assembly elections due later this year, there is simmering tension between the ruling Janata Dal(United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal over seat-sharing.
Senior RJD leader and party vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh fired the first salvo on Friday laying claim to 145 of the 243 seats for the RJD in the Assembly poll.
“On the basis of the last Lok Sabha poll results, RJD should get at least 145 seats to contest in the Assembly elections. It should not be the ‘sitting-getting’ formula as desired by the JD(U),” said Mr. Singh. The RJD was the bigger party as far as the vote share in the last Lok Sabha polls is concerned, he said.
The RJD leader said that since the political situation in the State had changed after the JD(U) parted ways with the BJP, the 2010 Assembly poll results should not be the criteria for seat sharing.
He took on the Nitish Kumar government over the deteriorating law and order situation, school education and medical facilities in government hospitals.
“Even the bureaucracy does not hear anyone”, he alleged.
However, responding to the RJD leaders claim, JD(U) leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said: “Why only 145…all 243 seats are available to contest.”
As for the 24 Council seats going to be vacant in mid-July, Mr. Kumar said nothing had been finalised as yet and State party president Basistha Narayan Singh had been “empowered” to talk to alliance partners.
Lalu's claimHowever, RJD chief Lalu Prasad has declared that his party would contest 12 Council seats.
On Thursday, after meeting with party legislators, Mr Prasad also took on the Nitish Kumar government on several counts.
“The state government should go to Supreme Court to challenge recent Patna High Court judgment annulling reservation in promotion to SCs and STs in government services”, demanded Mr. Prasad. He asked the Nitish government to provide Rs. 10 lakh instead of Rs. 4.5 lakh to each of the victims of earthquake, thunderstorm and unseasonal rain in the State.
“The Chief Minister should also talk to the school teachers and address their grievances once and for all”, said Lalu Prasad.
Reacting to Mr Prasad’s demand, Mr. Kumar said there was no need for him (Lalu Prasad) to make any demand on the issue of reservation in promotion to SCs and STs in government services to be taken to the apex court.
Meanwhile, the political sceptics of the state said “it’s all beginning of the end of any merger or alliance between the two parties, or to say, between the two leaders”.
